Press Release: Alan Johnson MP supports the war memorials campaign in Hull

An exciting opportunity is available for communities in Hull 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, by then Prime Minister David Cameron, 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 150 war memorials within the City of Hull, there is no better time to make sure the tributes in Hull are ‘fit for heroes’.

Civic Voice, the national charity for the civic movement, is looking for more volunteers from Hull to help with this project.
Alan Johnson, MP for Kingston Upon Hull West and Hessle, gave his support and thanked some of the volunteers already engaged in the project in Hull, for all of their hard work so far.

He said: "I believe the work of the First World War Memorial Programme is absolutely essential in ensuring that the many war memorials in Hull are properly maintained.

Our generation can’t possibly imagine the sacrifice made by millions of citizens in the carnage of that terrible war. The memorials exist so we should never forget the names of those in every community who gave their life.

Thank goodness there are volunteers willing to put time and effort into this important programme."

Joan Humble, Deputy Chair of Civic Voice, announced that a workshop to train volunteers in Hull on how to record the condition of their local war memorials will be held on Thursday 27th October 2016. She added "Our wonderful volunteers in Hull have made great progress but we need more people to get involved". You can book your place on our Hull workshop here: http://www.civicvoice.org.uk/get-involved/events/

Michael Reeve, Volunteer Campaigns Co-ordinator for Hull war memorials added: “If people from every part of Hull were to undertake a simple survey of their local war memorial the result could be that all of 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. The 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 our next workshop to find out more!”


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 Hull workshop for free here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/war-memorials-condition-survey-workshop-hull-tickets-27673615529 This will be taking place on 27th October 2016 from 13.00 – 16:30.

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 First World War Memorial Programme:

The nationwide programme, run jointly by Civic Voice, Historic England, Imperial War Museums and War Memorials Trust, plans to record the condition of 20,000 memorials in England over the next 3 years.