Lotto help for war memorial project
LOCAL war heroes who died in WWI will have their stories told in an innovative project by Sefton Council.
The local authority has been awarded £10,000 Heritage Lottery funding which will highlight civic war memorials from Southport to Bootle and the stories behind the men who perished listed upon them.
The scheme will be one of the largest projects undertaken by Sefton Council, partners and local schools since the world record Human Poppy in 2014.
Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton cabinet member for communities and housing, said: “It is fantastic to see Sefton’s library service leading the way in a pioneering new project with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
“I know the team are raring to go on a project that will take a great deal of research and imagination.
“From mapping out the memorials, collating information such as the date they were erected, working with local school children to develop the stories of the heroes to working with the creative talents, to deliver an interactive product, there is much for them to do.
“A poignant part of the project I am excited to see is the planned writing of letters from local schoolchildren to residents living in the homes last occupied by our war heroes.
“The current house owner will be asked if they would like to have their house included on a digital map highlighting the ‘Homes of Heroes’ and civic war memorials.”
Lesley Davies from Sefton Library Service also commented: “The additional funding from the HLF means that there is a lot more we can do.
“A web designer will create a digital map of the Sefton Area, highlighting the war memorials and the homes of local heroes.
“Images and details of soldiers’ service will be added for each individual soldier, as a pop-up if you hover over the house.
“The digital map will sit on the Sefton Looking Back digital portal and will become a resource for school projects for many years to come.
“Our aim is to complete the research and have the webpage built to be unveiled in time for the 100-year anniversary of the end of WWI in 2018.
The £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund will match an existing £7,000 from the library service.