War Memorial to be restored

The original memorial , a sandstone sculpture consisting of four octagonal steps surmounted by a square base and pedestal, supporting a carved cross, was commissioned by local landowner Lord Sefton and dedicated in 1920. Already weakened by neglect and natural erosion, it was toppled when children who had fashioned a makeshift swing from one arm of the cross were playing there on Hallowe'en night, 1991.One child was badly injured in the fall. The cross was smashed , the base was cracked and damaged, and the crumbled stone was eventually taken away for safekeeping in St. Chad's church- but not before it had been defaced by multicoloured graffiti and smeared by chewing gum.

As well as overseeing the reconstruction, the Trust is committed to making the local community, especially the young, more aware of the memorial's importance in their history, and, in so doing, encourage respect for it. The Trust is all too aware that the 60th commemoration of VE and VJ day will, with the passage of time, almost inevitably be the last in which veterans play an active role ,as their stories and sacrifice slip virtually unnoticed and unmarked from living memory into history - unless new generations become actively involved.

The rector of St. Chad's , where the memorial stood, the Reverend Tim Stratford, has a regular congregation of around 60 worshippers in what he says is "an active church" with a total of up to 700 people through the church doors in a typical week. The church itself, which has a font dating from the tenth century and several William Morris windows ,is sporadically attacked by vandals- but Mr . Stratford blames this on a lack of knowledge about its role in the community, rather than wanton destruction. He is already working with local teachers involved in the citizenship curriculum to draw up a lesson plan, complete with visits to St. Chad's , for pupils at Key Stages 1 and 2 (aged 5-11) .The Rector hopes this will help them to a greater understanding, and to reclaim the heritage of their grandparents and great-grandparents.

Mr. Stratford also has the backing of the Kirkby based Kings' Regiment Association which has itself raised several thousand pounds towards the restoration. Its spokesman ,Danny Farley, says research has uncovered details of three local soldiers who died in the Trenches, and their names, together with soldiers from Kirkby who were killed in the conflicts in Borneo and Northern Ireland, will be added to the new memorial. Mr. Farley also wants to set up a preservation fund to look after the memorial, once work's completed.

Announcing the project, War Memorials Trust's Fundraiser, Robert Pitts, says" The charity has undertaken this fundraising to re-establish this wonderful monument so that once again the fallen of World War 1 can be remembered in an appropriate way. By giving them a sense of ownership of the Kirkby memorial, we hope to ensure local people become its guardians, helping to protect the monument for future generations.

"War memorials are such a familiar part of our lives that it is very easy to take them for granted, " Mr. Pitts adds. "Most towns and villages have such a memorial, but how many of us can recall what it looks like, or even its location? It is perhaps for this reason that so many fall into neglect and disrepair or are bulldozed to one side to make way for a new development."

Mr. Pitts is also asking the public for help in identifying other "Kirkby War Memorials" around the country and to involve the Trust in their repair and restoration- before they , like the men and women they commemorate, pass forever into history.

Contact
War Memorials Trust, 4, Lower Belgrave Street, London SW1W OLA.
Tel (Charity) 0207 2590403
(Conservation) 0207 881 0862
www.warmemorials.org
Reg.charity number 1062255

Interviews with Robert Pitts (Fundraiser) and/or Dr. Pedro Gaspar (Conservation Officer) of WMT, Rev. Tim Stratford and Danny Farley can be arranged by telephone, e-mail or in person in London or Kirkby.

For Further information and media enquiries ,please contact Felicity McCall, PR Executive, WMT, Tel 02871 290143, fax 02871 290142

Visit also: www.dannyfarley.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

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War Memorials Trust, the charity which works to protect and restore some 50,000 monuments in towns, villages and cities across Britain, is to pay for the rebuilding of the memorial at St. Chad's Church, Kirkby in Merseyside, after selecting it from dozens of other nominations as its Anniversary Project. It's the first time the Trust (formerly Friends of War Memorials) has commissioned and funded a complete reconstruction.

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The Kirkby Team Ministry is the style adopted by the Parochial Church Council of Kirkby which is an excepted charity serving the ecclesiastical parish of Kirkby in the Diocese of Liverpool as part of the Church of England.