Photo credit: St John’s
The Calvary War Memorial in the grounds of St John the Evangelist Church, East Dulwich will benefit from a grant of £7,730 from Grants for War Memorials scheme supported by the First World War Memorials Programme and Historic England.
The money will enable them to repair the braces that hold up the memorial, which have suffered from rot, and to sand and finish the memorial to ensure it remains weatherproof. The work will be conducted by Dolmen’s Construction Ltd and has been organised by the Parish Church Council of St John the Evangelist.
Frances Moreton, Director, War Memorials Trust said “War memorials are a tangible connection to our shared past creating a link between the fallen and today. It is vital we ensure all our war memorials are in the best possible condition for their age and the charity is delighted to support this project. The centenary of World War I is a wonderful opportunity for local communities across the country to protect and conserve their war memorials. If anyone knows of any other war memorials in need of help, please contact us.”
Rev Gill O’Neill, vicar of St John’s East Dulwich said “We are delighted to have been awarded this grant and are very grateful to the War Memorials Trust. We hope that conserving our War Memorial will enable our whole community to honour the memory of those killed in WW1 and 2 for generations to come. It is fitting that we do this in 2018, when we keep the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, do come and visit.”
St John’s Church are very pleased to be receiving the funding to repair and conserve the war memorial from the War Memorials Trust. However, the fence around the memorial is not covered by this grant and needs to be replaced. They would like the replacement fence to last just as long and to be remain faithful to the original design and are currently fundraising to meet the cost of the fence and asking for people to consider sponsoring the cost of one or more fence posts. Each post will cost £35. Donations are welcome and can be given at the church using one of their envelopes or via their donations website.
The hope is that the work will be complete in time for the centenary of the armistice on Sunday 11th November, when St John’s will be having a remembrance service. This will include a re-dedication of the memorial. All are welcome to attend the service and ceremony – please visit St John’s website for more details.