Published: Tuesday 25th September 2018 | 11.22am
Plans by Cannock Chase District Council and its leisure services partner, Inspiring healthy lifestyles, to commemorate the centenary of the end of World War 1 this November have been boosted with the award of a £15,000 grant.
The Council has secured the funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund to help fund a specially commissioned play called `The Last Day`, hold ceremonies including the lighting of a beacon sculpture, and produce a digital toolkit to help education groups and residents understand the District’s role during the war and how it has been commemorating the 100th anniversary between 2014 and 2018.
Across the country, communities will be commemorating the occasion by lighting their own beacons and organising their own parades as part of the national events programme ‘Battle’s Over - A Nation’s Tribute`.
‘Inspiring healthy lifestyles’ submitted the application on behalf of the District’s WW1 Working Group, a collaboration of local Armed Forces’ organisations and branches such as Staffordshire Regimental Association, local arts group members of Cannock Chase Arts Council and Cannock Chase Council.
The group has worked hard over the last four years to engage with local businesses, creative individuals and groups to provide events and activities for local communities to support and participate in.
Among these was `The Great War Marches` in 2014 which saw local towns develop parades and services involving hundreds of serving personnel, veterans, military organisations and the wider community.
In 2015 a District-wide story gathering initiative toured across sheltered housing providers to hear from people whose relations experienced the Great War period, while in 2016 a ‘Four Winters at War’ outdoor performance was held at Birches Valley.
On the weekend of 10 and 11 November this year, the District will mark the national celebration with a service and beacon lighting at St Luke’s Church in Cannock, hold special services at other churches across the District, and present performances of ‘The Last Day’ at the Prince of Wales in Cannock, at Rugeley Rose Theatre and at Staffordshire University Academy in Hednesford.
Lisa Shephard, Community Wellbeing Manager (Cannock Chase) at Inspiring healthy lifestyles said: “We are so pleased the bid was successful. Its aim is to bring our Armed Forces and civilian communities closer together, including promoting the benefits of being involved in cadet branches, and helping veterans discover new interests in their communities.”
Leader of Cannock Chase Council, Councillor George Adamson added: “The partnership working among organisations during this centenary period demonstrates how truly committed the District is in honouring the Armed Forces Covenant obligations.”
Full details of all the events being planned for 10 and 11 November will be revealed soon.
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund was launched in 2015, and programmes have included support for ex-service personnel in the criminal justice system, the Veterans’ Gateway and supporting serving families encountering difficult periods through the Families in Stress programme. It has also worked with local government, and given grants to support their delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant locally, as in the case of this grant to Cannock Chase Council. The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation to ensure that those who serve or who have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly. For more information on the Armed Forces Covenant please visit www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk