In 2015 Cheltenham Borough Council committed to developing a project to commemorate the centenary of the signing of the Armistice that signalled the end of World War 1, and to say ‘Thank You’ to the men and women of the First World War who gave so much, asked so little and helped to shape our world as we know it today.
The project, entitled Cheltenham Remembers has incorporated a variety of commemoration activities, including the restoration of the War Memorial in the Long Garden, the replacement of 4 lamps surrounding it, supporting the restoration of the war memorial at St. Peters, in Tewkesbury Road, and culminating in a programme of events throughout the Borough during 2018.
Cheltenham Borough Council would not have been able to deliver the project without the support of our partners and contributors and we thank them for their commitment throughout.
Funders.
Our Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund grant programme helps protect and share our heritage. This includes a focus on anything from personal memories and cultural traditions to archaeological sites, places of worship, museum collections and rare wildlife, ensuring that the public benefit must be greater than any private gain. In June 2016 Cheltenham Borough Council was awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund Our Heritage grant to commemorate the first World War.
For more information please visit: www.hlf.org.uk/
In 2015 Cheltenham Borough Council approved funding to support a project to commemorate the centenary of the end of World War 1.
For more information please visit: www.cheltenham.gov.uk
War Memorials Trust works to protect and conserve war memorials in the UK. The charity provides advice to anyone with a war memorial enquiry and grant aids repair and conservation projects. In April 2016 a grant to Cheltenham Borough Council supported works to the war memorial on the Promenade.
For more information please visit: www.warmemorials.org
Partners.
The RAFA will create an exhibition to be hosted at the Jet Age Museum which will commemorate the formation of the Royal Air Force in 1918 and the development of the local aviation industry. They will also provide a school visit programme and complementary coach transport for local schools. Key features of the exhibition will be a ¾ scale WW1 fighter plane, video presentations, RAF memorabilia and display boards.
For more information please visit: www.rafa.org.uk/cheltenham
The Parabola Arts Centre will host an exhibition examining the contributions of staff and pupils to the war effort. The exhibition will include a recreation of a VAD hospital ward and will also focus on the role of women and the effects the war had on female emancipation. There will be an accompanying Key Stage 3 teaching pack available to download from our learning page and material from the Ladies’ College archives will be displayed at the Wilson.
For more information please visit: www.cheltladiescollege.org
In 1920 Cheltenham Borough Council commissioned a memorial painting of six officers from the 5th Gloucester regiment. The painting is returning to Cheltenham, where it will hang in the Wilson’s Paper Store gallery to commemorate the centenary of WW1. Researcher and author Neela Mann will be compiling information boards, display cabinets and a printed leaflet to accompany the artwork and will also be giving talks about the painting and the men featured in it.
For more information please visit: www.cheltlocalhistory.org.uk
There will be a concert at the Town Hall involving local young musicians and featuring an original composition inspired by WW1 poetry. Lead artist Robyn Woolston will also be hosting a programme of community workshops and pop up exhibitions which will culminate in a major exhibition at the Wilson exploring Cheltenham’s global connections and the impact the war had on health and wellbeing. In addition to this there will be an exhibition in the Paper Store gallery featuring items from the Wilson’s WW1 collections and partners.
For more information please visit: www.cheltenhamtrust.org.uk
Big Local residents and partners will be delivering a range of activities including an exhibition focussing on the impact WW1 had on the St Peters & The Moors area, school trips to the Imperial War Museum, a re-enactment field hospital and training camp created by the Great War Society, plus community reflection following the annual remembrance service at St Peter’s war memorial.
For more information please visit: www.sptm.org.uk
The Everyman Theatre will be working with director Bryn Holding to write and perform a play about the nurses and patients who spent time in Cheltenham’s Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) hospitals during WWI. The play will feature professional and community actors and will be performed at, or close to, the sites of the original VAD hospitals.
For more information please visit: www.everymantheatre.org.uk
Students from the University will be designing and producing this website, as well as delivering content and articles for the Cheltenham Remembers web page and social media. Journalism students will be researching local WW1 stories and turning these into multi-media video presentations to be added to the website.
For more information please visit: www.glos.ac.uk
The Royal British Legion will be using their connections with local groups and organisations to encourage and support participation in the Cheltenham Remembers programme of events. In the final year of the WW1 centenary, The Royal British Legion is inviting the British public to say ‘Thank You’ to the First World War generation who served, sacrificed and changed our world.
For more information please visit: www.britishlegion.org.uk
With Thanks To…
Hills Design, Cheltenham BID, Glide Media, Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum, Jet Age Museum, Cheltenham Racecourse, The Rock, Holst Birthplace Museum, Great War Society, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Gloucestershire Music, The Songwriting Charity, Gloucester Road School, remembering.org.uk, Historic England, Cheltenham Camera Club, David Drinkwater, Mel Etheridge, Claudia Dunn, Beya Kabelu, Joe Tucker, Rebecca Iles
Website Development & Design by Zoe Smith