Chi Onwurah MP gives support to the First World War Memorials Programme as it arrives in Newcastle

The First World War Memorials Programme is arriving in Newcastle and volunteers are needed from to help find and save local war memorials.

An exciting opportunity has become available for communities Newcastle to play a part in conserving and protecting their local war memorials as part of a project to commemorate the First World War.

Launched in 2014, the First World War Memorials Programme aims to inspire local communities across the country to survey and conserve their local war memorials to ensure that by the end of the centenary of the First World War, as many war memorials as possible are in good condition and fitting tributes to the fallen. 

Funding is available for the repair and conservation of memorials, but help is needed to find them and record their condition first, using a simple survey. With around 600 war memorials in the Newcastle area, there is no better time to make sure these tributes to the fallen are ‘fit for heroes’. 

Civic Voice, the national charity for the civic movement, is looking for volunteers from Newcastle to help with this campaign. Working with the North East War Memorials Project (NEWMP), Civic Voice is bringing a free war memorials workshop to the city on November 23rd to train volunteers how to survey the condition of their war memorials. If you would like to attend the workshop or learn more about the programme, please visit http://www.civicvoice.org.uk/campaigns/war-memorials- /

Chi Onwurah, MP for Newcastle Central met with representatives from Civic Voice and NEWMP last week to give her support for the programme.

Ms Onwurah said, "Remembering those who gave their lives and fought for our future has never been more important. Recently I marked the Centenary of the Somme with a battlefields tour and ceremony with The Northumberland Fusiliers and this brought home to me the huge sacrifice made by the people of the North East. We have a lasting legacy of memorials in our communities. The First World War Memorials Programme engages volunteers to record the condition of these memorials and where necessary repair them. I am pleased that Civic Voice has announced a workshop in Newcastle and hope that our local memorials can be recorded and maintained in order that we can continue to commemorate our North East heroes."

Anna Wilson of Civic Voice said “If people from every part Newcastle were to undertake a simple survey of their local war memorial the result could be that all the city’s memorials could be in really good condition by 2018, in time for the national commemorations of the end of the First World War."

Extra funding to save war memorials is only available during the centenary years so now is the time to act to save the nation’s war memorials. Come along to the workshop to find out more!”

To register your free place on the workshop visit http://www.civicvoice.org.uk/campaigns/war-memorials- /

Telephone 0151 707 4319 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Notes for Editors

If you need further information about the programme contact Civic Voice on .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or tel: 0151 707 4319.

For more information on the First World War Memorial Programme visit the Civic Voice website: http://www.civicvoice.org.uk/campaigns/war-memorials- /

You can register to attend the workshop 23 rd November 9.45am – 1.30pm for free here: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/war-memorials- condition-survey- workshop-newcastle- tickets-28146241165

If volunteers can’t make a workshop we are encouraging them to use the online toolkit which will teach them how to carry out a condition survey. This can be found here: http://www.civicvoice.org.uk/campaigns/war-memorials- condition-survey- toolkit-/

About Civic Voice

Civic Voice is the national charity for the civic movement in England. Our mission is to develop a society where everyone can say “I care about where I live”. We promote civic pride through our network of over 75,000 individual members

About the First World War Memorials Programme

The nationwide programme, run jointly by Civic Voice, Historic England, Imperial War Museums and War Memorials Trust, plans to record the condition of up to 20,000 memorials in England over the next 2 years.

About the North East War Memorials Project

http://www.newmp.org.uk/category.php?categoryid=2