WORLD WAR ONE COMMEMORATION PROGRAMME 19 JANUARY 2016

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1 WORLD WAR ONE COMMEMORATION PANEL 19 JANUARY 2016 WORLD WAR ONE COMMEMORATION PROGRAMME Head of Leisure and Culture Purpose To update the Panel on the progress made in developing and delivering the Council s programme of activities to commemorate the 100 th anniversary of the beginning of World War One (WW1) and the celebration of the 100 th anniversary of the end of the War in Introduction A wide ranging programme of events and initiatives were supported by the Panel at its October 2013 meeting. This report provides an update on those that have taken place since the meeting of the Panel in September 2015 and an update on forthcoming events and activities. 2015/16 Projects Recognition of Edith Cavell A blue commemorative plaque was unveiled at Cheshunt Community Hospital on 12 October 2015 to mark the 100 th anniversary of Edith Cavell s death by firing squad. Approximately 35 people attended the unveiling, including the Leader of the Council, representatives from the World War One Commemorative Panel, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, Hertfordshire County Council and Haileybury Turnford School. Clare Hawkins, Director of Nursing, welcomed everyone on behalf of the Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust who manage the Community Hospital. She was followed by the Leader of the Council who spoke on Edith Cavell s legacy. Ella Wortley then read Abide With Me which Nurse Cavell herself read shortly before her execution. The Mayor s Chaplain Rev. John Williams read a short prayer as Edith Cavell s death is commemorated in the Anglican Church s calendar of Holy Days. CPGC 18 th Hole Crosses Cheshunt Park Golf Centre (CPGC) participated in the Royal British Legion s Poppy Appeal Golf Classic initiative on both Sunday 8 and Wednesday 11 November and raised 56 for the Royal British Legion. Golf clubs register to put on a tournament and all participants receive a commemorative souvenir with a distinctive poppy logo and the winner from each club or section receives a specially minted 'gold' medal. Over recent years the Royal British WW1 Panel 1

2 Legion has received over a quarter of a million pounds from these events. 56 people took part this year at CPGC. Future Projects Journey s End A live production of R.C. Sheriff s Award Winning Journey s End is being planned to be staged at The Spotlight during Remembrance Week The production is from Immersion Theatre who are known for their re-workings of classic texts. The target audience for this production is the mainstream theatre audience and educational establishments from year 6 primary through to sixth form. Freedom of Entry The Council is waiting for dates from the Royal Anglian Regiment to meet and plan the march. Feedback from other authorities indicates that costs for similar marches varied between 7,000 and 21,000, including road closures etc. This will need to be included in the estimates for 2018/19. Project Tommy A public consultation process is currently underway up to 31 December to determine the level of financial support that might be achieved to help support the delivery of this project. At the 29 December there were approximately 85 responses and a summary will be provided at the meeting. WW1 Panel 2

3 Battle of the Somme 1916 film During the autumn of 1916, 20 million people flocked to see a silent film entitled The Battle of the Somme. This was equivalent to half the population of Britain at the time. The Somme was one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War, resulting in over one million casualties. The Battle of the Somme film took real life footage and turned it into a main feature with mass appeal. It shows images of the first week of the Big Push, which took place in July It was a joint offensive of the British and French armies who hoped to break through the German lines and achieve victory on the Western Front. The film remains one of the most watched in British cinema history. As part of the national First World War commemorative programme managed by the Imperial War Museum, the digitally remastered film is being made available for partners to screen in local venues between Saturday 16 July 2016 and Saturday 15 July The Panel supported the screening of the film at the Spotlight and a date is being identified. The organisers will provide the film free of charge and have confirmed that a charge can be made to recover the costs of showing the film e.g. hall and staff costs. More details will be provided. Women in WW1 An Inter-Generational Project The Council is considering a funding bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to develop a project for 2018 focussing on women s suffrage as it will be the 100 th anniversary of women receiving the vote. If funding is secured the project will look at how the War impacted on the campaign for votes for women as well as the state of women s enfranchisement and engagement in political life locally. Stephen Warner Diaries Stephen Warner, the great grandson of John Warner of Hoddesdon, kept a day-by-day account of his journey through the First World War. These diaries, which are part of Lowewood Museum s collection, provide an insight into an individual s experience of the First World War. For the first time these diaries are being shared online, published monthly on the museum s blog site years after they were written. Extracts are also posted on the museum s Twitter feed and some examples include: Twitter hashtags: #Christmas #StephenWarnerDiaries "I will tell the story of the sergeant's turkey" "a wet night and tarred road did the rest! The turkey landed heavily on the road." "The orderly stooped down & lifting the bird by one leg, examined it all over." "Then, glancing around & thinking himself to be alone, drew out of his pocket a handkerchief & removed the mud!" "The turkey was replaced on the dish and so far we have not heard that the sergeant complained of his meal!" During the War, Stephen served initially as a Private in the Royal Army Medical Corps, but after a time he felt that he could not let others bear the brunt of the battle and so became 2 nd Lieutenant in the 9 th Battalion Essex Regiment where he was served with distinction and was awarded the Military Cross. His Military Cross is also held within the museum s collection. To commemorate his experience, the museum is looking to develop a project working with students to create a graphic novel of his account of the First World War. The project will WW1 Panel 3

4 also include the digitisation of the diaries which will be shown via a permanent touch screen interactive for the museum, in which excerpts of the diaries can be seen and heard; read by students and re-enactors. The project will culminate in an exhibition and programme of associated events at the museum in This project will be dependent on funding and an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund s Our Heritage programme will be submitted in late Remembrance Poppies at the Old Pond At the September 2014 meeting of the Panel, it was proposed that the bedding at the Old Pond in Cheshunt be considered for the display of small crosses with poppies to create a visual impact. Officers will take this forward as a community project aiming at the period around Remembrance Sunday in Small Grant Schemes for Community Celebrations 2018 The Panel supported the proposal to establish a community small grant scheme for street parties in 2018 to celebrate the 100 th anniversary of the end of the War. This would be similar to the approach taken for the London 2012 and Diamond Jubilee small grant scheme which had a budget of 10,000 and awarded grants totalling 8,100. One-off funding for the small grants scheme will need to be secured in 2017 for the 2018/19 financial year and it is proposed it will be funded from a reduction in the community grants scheme. Communications and Marketing Communications have developed a communications plan for the Council s WW1 programme. Each individual project also has its own marketing plan and there are dedicated webpages for the programme. Projects have also been promoted on the official First World War centenary partnership ( Financial, Legal and Risk Management Implications 5,000 funding for the World War One commemorative programme is in the Council s base budget for 2015/16 and the draft budget for 2015/16 projects can be found in the table below. The final cost of the World War One commemorative programme for 2014/15 was 5,058. Event / Project Date Attendance / Participants Cost to WW1 budget ( ) Nil WW1 Trench at Haileybury School 6 May 2015 plus additional dates TBC Let s GO Play: Step Back in 27 June Time Recognition of Edith Cavell 12 October th Hole Crosses 8 and 11 November 56 Nil TOTAL , Officers have investigated the Ministry of Defence s Community Covenant grant scheme which was revamped and relaunched in July. There are four overarching themes: 1. Non-core healthcare services for veterans WW1 Panel 4

5 2. Removing barriers to family life 3. Extra support after service for those that need help 4. Measures to integrate military and civilian communities and to allow the Armed Forces community to participate as citizens There are three priorities for this year: 1. Community integration projects 2. The co-ordination and delivery of support to the Armed Forces community 3. Veterans in the criminal justice system For the opportunity to seek this funding the WW1 commemorative programme would need to align with the community integration theme. There is 10M funding for 2015/16 nationally. There will be two application routes: Small grants for projects requiring up to 20,000 Large grants for projects requiring between 20,000 and 500,000 Community integration projects will fall into the small grant scheme. The funders will prioritise projects which: are locally rooted and driven are jointly developed and delivered by Armed Forces and civilian partners have lasting benefits for both civilians and Armed Forces communities will be able to demonstrate real impact in overcoming barriers; and improving perceptions, attitudes and understanding. There are two funding rounds. The first opened on 13 August with applications to be submitted by 17 September and a decision announced in November. The second opens on 28 September with a closing date of 17 December. Successful applicants will be notified in March. The applications will be reviewed and assessed by the appropriate Regional and Devolved Administrations Board before being considered by the National Panel who will be seeking the right mix of projects across the country. It appears that projects need to be delivered within one year of receipt of funding. On this basis potential support towards the Freedom of Entry March in 2018 will need to be sought during 2017, subject to the grant schemes continued existence. RECOMMENDED that: (a) the developments to date with the commemorative programme be noted; and (b) the Panel provides feedback and guidance on the issues raised in the report. Contact Officers: Mr S Whitlam (Ext 5909) Mr S Dupoy (Ext 5910) List of Background Papers: Report to Cabinet, 9 July 2013 Report to the Panel, 21 May 2015 Report to the Panel, 15 September 2015 WW1 Panel 5