Twelve war memorials across Scotland are set to be conserved and repaired after being awarded a share of £55,000 worth of grant funding by War Memorials Trust, through the Centenary Memorials Restoration Fund.
The recipients are spread across Scotland, with memorials in Fife, Perthshire, the Western Isles, East Lothian, and the Highlands all set to benefit from funding. The grants range from nearly £13,000 to carry out major repair and conservation works to the war memorial in Prestonpans, and roof repair of a war memorial hall in Dairsie, down to smaller grants of around £1,300 for minor, but important repairs and necessary cleaning.
The fund – which is managed by War Memorials Trust on behalf of Historic Environment Scotland and the Scottish Government – allows communities throughout Scotland to apply for financial help to conserve and repair their war memorials.
Frances Moreton, Director of War Memorials Trust, said: “The centenary of World War I has so far seen communities across Scotland take advantage of this additional funding, to ensure their war memorials are in the best possible condition to mark the sacrifices of so many.
“With just two years left until Armistice Day 2018 we would encourage everyone to visit their local war memorial this Remembrance Day, check the condition of it, and get in touch with War Memorials Trust if you have any concerns. Funding is still available but projects do take time, so be sure to act now to ensure your war memorial is ready for 2018.”
Communities are taking inspiration from the commemoration of the centenary of World War I (1914 – 1918) to ensure their local war memorials are a fitting tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. The announcement comes as a timely boost for the memorials, many of which will play a central role in this week’s Remembrance Day commemorations.
These grants bring the total amount offered to 95 Scottish war memorials to £726,488 since the scheme was launched by Former First Minister Alex Salmond in 2013. A pot of £1 million was made available for this initiative throughout the centenary, to enable communities to repair and conserve their own monuments. Communities can still apply for a share of the funds.
It is believed that up to 10% of Scotland’s estimated 6,000 war memorials are in either ‘poor’ or ‘very bad’ condition, so there is clearly scope for many more projects to benefit from this grant scheme.
The Centenary Memorials Restoration Fund’s £1 million is available to support the repair and conservation of any war memorial of any type anywhere in Scotland. The scheme was launched in April 2013 and will run through the centenary of World War I. Funded by the Scottish Government and Historic Environment Scotland, the scheme is administered by War Memorials Trust.
Find out more about the Centenary Memorials Restoration Fund through the Historic Environment Scotland website
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