As we look forward to a a new term our programme for November usually includes our act of Remembrance which takes place on the Sunday nearest to 11th November, the anniversary of the end of hostilities in the First World War.
It is an opportunity to remember the service and sacrifice of all those that have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life and commemorates British service members who have died in wars and other military conflicts since the beginning of World War One.
But how do we ensure those who gave their lives are not forgotten? And how do we involve young people in this?
Since its establishment by Royal Charter in 1917, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have constructed 2,500 war cemeteries and plots, erected headstones over graves and where the remains are missing, inscribed the names of the dead on permanent memorials. More than a million burials are now commemorated at military and civil sites in more than 150 countries and territories.
The work of the CWGC is supported by a group of volunteers across the country who work alongside the Public Engagement Co-Ordinators and deliver a range of talks about the varied work of the CWGC, its history but also, importantly, its work today.
Today, over a century after the CWGC first began, their work continues through the staff, supporters and volunteers who preserve our unique cultural, horticultural and architectural heritage and ensure that the stories of those who died in the First World War and Second World War are told.
Their aim is to actively engage new audiences and find innovative ways to involve the whole community with our work – through education and outreach, voluntary activity, arts and heritage projects, local research and partnership working. We aim to increase local awareness of CWGC sites across the UK.
If you're a Squirrel, Beaver, Cub, Scout or Explorer section and would like a guided tour of a cemetery near you or a talk on our work delivered at your H.Q. you can book a talk, using this link - www.cwgc.org/talks and for tours or anything else, please email - [email protected]
This year Remembrance Sunday is on 13th November.
