Heritage organisations

War Memorials Trust

War Memorials Trust works for the protection and conservation of war memorials within the UK to ensure they remain part of our communities forever.  War memorials commemorate our shared past, an important part of our national culture.

War Memorials Trust seeks to cooperate with other organisations, at both national and local level, to better safeguard the future of war memorials in both their social and historical context.

War Memorials Trust is an independent registered charity and as such is dependent on voluntary income.

Conservation

The Trust has a dedicated Conservation Team that can provide free advice on any memorial issue or technical conservation enquiry.  This service is available to anyone with a memorial enquiry.  The Conservation Team can also advise on maintenance works and how to prevent theft.  The Trust’s website has extensive information on conservation and repair and helpsheets on most general and technical memorial issues: www.warmemorials.org/conservation-advice.

Grants

War Memorials Trust administers grant schemes which cover the whole of the UK.  Grants are for conservation and repair of war memorials and all grant schemes are open to anyone to apply; individuals or organisations, including councils.  Information on grants, eligibility and how to apply are available on the Trust’s website: www.warmemorials.org/grants.  Please note that the Trust cannot provide funding retrospectively under any circumstances.

Learning

Launched in August 2011, War Memorials Trust’s youth focused Learning Programme works to educate today’s young people, the war memorial custodians of tomorrow, about the  
signifi­cance of war memorials.

By investigating the stories of those commemorated and discovering the fascinating history of local war memorials, we hope young people in schools, and those involved in Cadets, Scouting, the Duke of Edinburgh Award and youth groups, will be inspired to continue to preserve our war memorial heritage.  More information is available on the Learning Programme website: www.learnaboutwarmemorials.org.

Projects

The Trust is involved in a number of projects which may be of assistance to those interested in, or custodians of, war memorials:

• In Memoriam 2014

This is a partnership between the SmartWater Foundation and War Memorials Trust.  In Memoriam 2014 protects memorials at risk of theft or damage by marking them with a forensic liquid called SmartWater.  The crime prevention fluid, which is being made available at no charge, will not only make memorials uniquely identifiable, it also offers robust traceability should a theft occur.  This will act as a significant deterrent to those considering desecrating our war memorials by massively increasing their chances of detection and subsequent arrest.  Further information and registration are available on the website: www.inmemoriam2014.org.

• War Memorials Online

War Memorials Online is run by War Memorial Trust and supported by Historic England.  It will bring together, for the first time, information on the UK’s war memorials held by the leading experts.  Working with the public, it is the ambition of War Memorials Online to create the UK’s most comprehensive understanding of war memorials.  Members of the public can browse our current records and upload their own content, photos and condition reports to help create a complete picture of all war memorials across the country.  For further information please visit the website: www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk.

• War Memorials Officers

In November 2010 War Memorials Trust approached local authorities across the UK to ask if they had a War Memorials Officer.  A War Memorials Officer is the single, or main, point of contact at the council who deals with war memorial issues. They are rarely called 'War Memorials Officer' within the local authority structure as war memorials are just one part of their job but War Memorials Trust uses the phrase to identify the person who deals with war memorials.  Details of your local War Memorials Officer can be found on the Trust’s website: www.warmemorials.org/wmo.