Andy Burnham MP for Leigh shows his support for the war memorials campaign in Manchester

Andy Burnham MP for Leigh shows his support for the war memorials campaign in Manchester.

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

Launched by Prime Minister David Cameron, the 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'. 

With the help of Civic Voice, one of the four partner organisations running the programme, Manchester Diocese is working together with volunteers across the city and the wider area to record the condition of all war memorials. 

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 2700 war memorials in the Greater Manchester area, there is no better time to make sure the tributes in the city are ‘fit for heroes’. 

Andy Burnham MP for Leigh gave his support for the campaign this week. He said "The First World War Memorials Programme is a campaign which I passionately support. Civic Voice has done a great job at engaging volunteers around the country in the project and I am delighted to hear that they are bringing the campaign to Manchester next.”

Mr Burnham continued to say “Greater Manchester has over 2700 memorials, so it is vital that local volunteers engage with the campaign if we are to find and save all of Manchester's memorials. I would urge people to get involved and secure the memory of those who sacrificed so much.”

Anna Wilson of Civic Voice said, “If people from every part of Birmingham 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 when the real commemoration of the end of the war takes place”.

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-/

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.