The government has announced £2 million in funding for the
National Heritage Memorial Fund to support the repair and
conservation of local war memorials across the United Kingdom, as
the nation prepares to mark Remembrance Sunday.
The funding will build on The National Heritage Memorial Fund's
ongoing work to preserve and protect some of the UK's finest
heritage and enable more communities to access support for
maintaining their local war memorials most in need.
War memorials stand as permanent reminders of the sacrifice made
by servicemen and women in conflicts past and present. They play
a key role in acts of remembrance across the country.
Every town across the UK has its own rich history and it is
important that people understand the role their parents,
grandparents and great grandparents played in keeping us safe and
protecting our freedom. This funding will ensure more people can
be proud of their heritage, and tell their stories at a local
level.
This Remembrance Sunday, as communities across the country gather
at memorials nationwide to honour those who gave their lives in
service, this funding will ensure these important structures
remain protected for future generations to remember and learn
about our shared history.
The announcement follows commemorations earlier this year to mark
the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War on
Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) and Victory over Japan Day (VJ
Day), which paid tribute to the millions across the UK and
Commonwealth who served in Europe and the Far East.
Culture Secretary, said:
War memorials are more than historic structures. They are sacred
spaces where communities come together to remember those who gave
their lives for our freedom.
As we mark Remembrance Sunday and reflect on the 80th anniversary
of the end of the Second World War, it is our duty to ensure
these memorials are conserved with the dignity and respect they
deserve.
This funding will help communities across the country preserve
these vital tributes, so that the sacrifices of all who have
served, past and present, are never forgotten and their legacy
endures for generations to come.
The National Heritage Memorial Fund exists to form a UK-wide
memorial in honour of those who have given their lives to the
country. Working with the War Memorials Trust, Historic England
and other partners, the funding will support communities across
the UK to protect and repair their local war memorials through
grants, expert advice and guidance, ensuring these historic
memories can continue to serve as places for remembrance and
education.
Director of War Memorials Trust, Ms Frances Moreton
said:
The UK's 100,000 war memorials remind us all of the millions
whose lives have been ended, or impacted, by it. Preserving these
shared symbols helps us all to understand the consequences of
conflict, encourage later generations to avoid such suffering and
continue to say, we still remember.
Simon Thurley, Chair of The National Heritage Memorial
Fund, said:
As we mark Remembrance Sunday, we welcome the news of this
funding. Since 1980, the Memorial Fund's purpose has been to
create a timeless collection of heritage as a memorial for those
who have given their lives for the UK so it is very fitting that
we can now play a role in conserving local war memorials.
We look forward to working in partnership with the War Memorials
Trust, and other partners across the UK to protect war memorials
which hold a special place in the heart of communities across the
UK.
Notes to editors:
Anyone concerned about the condition of a war memorial can
contact the charity or share information directly to War
Memorials Online where more than 3,000 people are already
updating details about UK war memorials www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk.
About the National Heritage Memorial Fund
The National Heritage Memorial Fund was set up in 1980 as a fund
of last resort to save the most outstanding parts of our
heritage, to create a timeless and publicly accessible collection
as a memorial to those who have given their lives for the UK.
The Memorial Fund receives annual grant-in-aid of £5 million from
the UK government to help save some of our most-loved treasures
such as paintings, natural heritage, maritime and industrial
vessels, and historic houses, from being lost forever. Any funds
remaining from the Memorial Fund's annual allocation at the end
of the financial year remain available to the Memorial Fund to
award grants to exceptional heritage treasures such as the
Portrait of Mai (Omai), The Artist Rooms, Titian's Diana and
Acteon, the Honresfield Library, Tyntesfield Estate, Wentworth
Woodhouse Estate and Wentworth Woodhouse.
