Awarded £3,200 through the Heritage Lottery Fund's First World War: then and now grant scheme, part of the government’s Centenary Programme, the project – Burnham War Stories - led by the Royal British Legion, Burnham Branch (RBLBB), will work with seven local schools and youth organisations to create a series of engaging digital exhibitions and educational resources that will help explore these important war stories with the wider community.

Activities will include: 

• visits to the the Imperial War Museum, Kew Gardens Archives, local historical houses and The Commonwealth War Graves Commission to undertake research into the First World War and its impact on Burnham;
• working with families of soldiers to document their lives;
• producing an exhibition exploring the Burnham soldiers’ histories and the wider impact of the First World War on the area;
• creating a digital record of research to be uploaded to the RBLBB website;
• touring the exhibition to other local schools, libraries and local history groups;
• putting on an end of project concert and an all denominations church service with the community and all the young people involved.

Stuart McLeod, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund South East, said: “The First World War touched the lives of millions of people both at home and further afield and shaped the world as we know it today. This project is a creative way to explain the importance of the conflict to children, what it meant for Burnham and help them explore the stories behind the names on the local war memorial. We have already supported over £34m of projects from across the United Kingdom and will continue to support as many applications as we can afford that want to commemorate the Centenary.”

Jackie Slater, RBLBB, said: “We at the Royal British Legion, Burnham Branch, are delighted to receive HLF support for our First World War project and believe it will bring our community closer together. It will create better links between local schools and youth organizations and ensure that the youth of today learn about what progress has been made in the last 100 years. This will leave a lasting legacy to enable the youth of today to have a better understanding of what the families left behind suffered during the conflict.”

Further information

Laura Bates, Heritage Lottery Fund press office, 020 7591 6027, email: lbates@hlf.org.uk.

Jackie Slater, Royal British Legion, Burnham Branch on 01628 603504, email: J_Slater1@sky.com.