Patron
On 16th August War Memorials Trust announced that HRH The Duchess of Cornwall was to become the charity's new Patron. She takes over from The Countess Mountbatten of Burma OBE CD JP DL who was the charity's first Patron.
Read the News Release below:
HRH The Duchess of Cornwall becomes War Memorials Trust Patron
War Memorials Trust is delighted to announce that HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is to become the new Patron of the charity.
War Memorials Trust works for the protection and conservation of war memorials across the UK. The charity marks its 10 th Anniversary this year and is delighted to be able to mark this event by announcing a new Patron. The charity believes that The Duchess of Cornwall’s Patronage will benefit the Trust in raising awareness of both the importance of war memorials and the unique work undertaken by the charity.
This announcement comes in the month that marks the 93 rd Anniversary of Britain’s declaration of war on Germany; an event that saw Britain’s entry into what became the Great War. When this conflict ended the British public responded with an outpouring of grief expressed through the erection of thousands of war memorials across the country. Today it is estimated there are 100,000 war memorials across the UK covering many different conflicts from the 10 th century to the present. These memorials take a range of forms from traditional cenotaphs and crosses to lighthouses and bus shelters. War Memorials Trust exists to help local communities protect and conserve all these memorials.
War Memorials Trust President, Winston S Churchill commented: “War Memorials Trust is thrilled that HRH The Duchess of Cornwall has agreed to become the Patron of War Memorials Trust. We believe this will raise the profile of our work and help the charity in its efforts to preserve our nation’s war memorial heritage both now and for future generations.”
War Memorials Trust Chairman, Algy Cluff added: “War Memorials Trust is delighted HRH The Duchess of Cornwall has agreed to support our work. We look forward to working with her as the charity seeks to protect and conserve war memorials across the UK.”
War Memorials Trust wishes to express its thanks to The Countess Mountbatten of Burma OBE CD JP DL who has undertaken such valuable work in the role of Patron for the Trust’s first decade. Without The Countess’ support and assistance the charity would not have made such significant progress in such a short space of time.
(Ends)
Further Information
Further information about War Memorials Trust, its work and the charity’s new Patron can be obtained from Trust Manager Ms Frances Moreton on 020 7259 0403 or frances@warmemorials.org.
War Memorials Trust
4 Lower Belgrave Street
London SW1W 0LA
Tel: 020 7259 0403 or 020 7881 0862
Fax: 020 7259 0296
Email: info@warmemorials.org
Website: www.warmemorials.org
Date: 16 August 2007
Notes for Editors
1. War Memorials Trust was registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales in May 1997. Registered charity number 1062255.
2. War Memorials Trust was formerly known as Friends of War Memorials changing its name in the autumn of 2004.
3. War Memorials Trust provides advice and information to anyone with a war memorial query. It also administers grant schemes that provide financial assistance to war memorial conservation projects across the UK. In its first decade over 600 projects have shared grants of over half a million pounds.
4. War Memorials Trust administers the Grants for War Memorials scheme funded by English Heritage and The Wolfson Foundation which offers grants of up to £10,000 at 50% eligible costs to free standing war memorials in England. The Trust runs its own, voluntary funded, Small Grants Scheme which provides grants of up to £1,500 at 50% eligible costs to any war memorial conservation project across the UK.
5. The estimated figure of 100,000 war memorials in the UK is stated by the UK National Inventory of War Memorials based at the Imperial War Museum who are collating a record of all war memorials across the UK. www.ukniwm.org.uk
6. Winston S Churchill has been President of War Memorials Trust since the charity’s inception in 1997.
7. Algy Cluff has been Chair of War Memorials Trust Trustees since 2002. The charity’s other Trustees are Colin Amery (Senior Adviser to World Monument Fund in Britain and Author) , Roger Bardell, Winston S Churchill, The Rt Hon Lord Cope of Berkeley (Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords), Jane Furlong (Project Co-ordinator UK National Inventory of War Memorials), Meg Hillier MP (for Hackney South & Shoreditch), Peter McCormick OBE, John Peat and Juliette Woolley.
