Vote for Great war project

[Desmond7]

http://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards...amp;id_entry=74

See above. This has my heartiest endorsement .. a great project involving some members of the GWF. Back 'em up.

[John_Hartley]

Dessie - link not working, mate.

[Desmond7]

See that - ain't working anywhere!

Try google for Lottery Fund Good Causes - the category is heritage

[ralphjd]

Nor here either.

[squirrel]

Apparently the element vote path has a problem. Wonder what that means?

[Jim Clay]

Look here. Under Heritage Projects, look at the Diamond War Memorial. Then vote.

Jim

I hope that's the one you were talkin' about, Des!

[Desmond7]

Well done that man - the 'vote page' must be impossible to link to?

[inishowen]

Thanks for pointing this out Des. Have voted.

[John_Hartley]

Under Heritage Projects, look at the Diamond War Memorial. Then vote.

Cor blimey.

They research 756 names on the war memorial and get fifty grand's worth of funding (which has paid for two part-time staff and their website).

I research nearly 3000 names on the war memorials and it costs me a packet.

Wonder what I and other memorial researchers have been doing wrong.

J

[Dragon]

I research nearly 3000 names on the war memorials

... or 3600 drill halls, too!

Seriously, the shortlist shows there are some fabulous projects out there.

Gwyn

[swizz]

Vote added.

Trevor has been working on this project for years - I first met him when we were both working our way through newspaper microfilms!

Swizz

[johnreed]

I've just voted.

John

[delta]

Me too

[Greenwoodman]

Added my vote - any chance of a couple of part-time researchers, please?

[stiletto_33853]

3000 john, go for lottery funding.

Added my vote too.

Andy

[nfh249]

Added my vote.

Neil.

[Desmond7]

I think this deserves lotery funding because of the sensitive nature of war commemoration in this part of the world .. especially in a place like Derry/Londonderry/Stroke City/Maiden City etc etc

This project HAS moved mountains in that respect.

[squirrel]

See what you mean Des. I have voted.

[staffsreg]

my vote cast!

cheers,

Ivan.

[Steven Broomfield]

Well done that man - the 'vote page' must be impossible to link to?

Probably to stop people getting their buddies to vote for it

I voted anyway.

[inishowen]

Des you are absolutely spot on about the Diamond War Memorial project. Opening the gates around the Cenotaph last year was a real sign that things are moving on. I have to add that there are other people involved in 'opening up' the cenotaph as well, in particular the International School for Peace Studies which is run by Glen Barr. For the past number of years they have held a memorial service at the Cenotaph which has from the start involved parading the Irish Tricolour alongside the Union Jack. Full praise has to go to members of the Waterside Royal British Legion and the AOH in Derry for getting involved in what at the time was seen as a risky thing to do.

[rob elliott]

Des,

You beat me to it [good posting]!

I will admit that i am biased towards this project but then i have had the advantage of seeing some of the work that has gone into it and the interest its raised.

I appreciate its value in helping a section of the community that for too long has had a part of its history put away in the cupboard and not talked about.

Of the 756 named on the memorial it is about 50/50 Catholic and Protestant, in addition there are another 300-400 men who were not included for various reasons that will now be remembered.

It is a tribute to Mary and Trevor the work they have put in to promote the project across the two communities.

I was present at the launch of the Memorial diary at Christmas in Londonderry. There were approximately 120 people present of whom i believe 100 were from the Nationalist community and it was a pleasure to be there.

This probably would not have been possible just a few years ago and is indicitive of the changes taking place.

Most of us research large numbers of soldiers, thats why we are regulars on the Forum and i'm sure we'd all love to be payed to do it, but the

fact is they applied for funding and got it, the lottery funding application is open to all 'good causes'.

I can't honestly say my own research is one, so i say good luck to them!

Rob

[John_Hartley]

but the

fact is they applied for funding and got it, the lottery funding application is open to all 'good causes'.

Yep. I appreciate that if you don't ask, you don't get.

But one wonders how successful a bid to pay for research, set up and maintain a website, publish a book, etc, would be if it came from an applicant elsewhere in the country.

Of course, I've nearly finished my 8 year project so I wouldnt be able to get retrospective funding, but it's something I'd now urge every other memorial researcher to apply for. You can quote the NI one as precedent. I don't see how they could possibly refuse.

[rob elliott]

John,

I'm sure Des didn't put the post here for people to start bickering about who does and doesn't get funding.

He asked for support and thats it as far as i can see.

Most seem to have understood this however some will never be supportive if envy gets in the way.

This is not the only First War project to receive lottery funding, look what won last year [we pay for that through taxes anyway] and this certainly does not set a precedent for others to follow.

Original projects are what wins the lottery support not copying others.

Again i would say if its a worthy cause ask. But you have to be honest and say that most of our research is for self interest, this project wasn't.

Do you think your's will affect peoples way of thinking and allow communities to sit together for the first time in years, i somehow think not.

Allow others to judge for themselves by visiting the web-site.

Rob

[Dragon]

But you have to be honest and say that most of our research is for self interest, this project wasn't.

Please understand that I am not in any way diminishing the community and political value of the project to which Des has drawn the forum's attention, but I know a little of the background to John's project and it isn't solely a self-interested one. When he announced it in June, 2005, he said that, 'As far as I know, this will be a first for a major local authority ... and, as such, is a potential nation-wide precedent setter ...'. (Thread here.)

My recollection is that John did seek funding and the various bodies whom he approached were evasive or plain uncooperative. So he funded it himself (as do most people on this forum, I suppose). I thought at the time that there was a degree of unfairness in that the LA were very happy to make favourable noises, but they cost nothing and John had quite a lot of difficulties to overcome, which were very wearing. It is to his credit and Stockport's benefit that he persevered. It seems to me that to the world outside this forum, war memorials come quite low in lists of priorities, especially where local community money is being spent and LAs have to make a choice between funding, say, a day centre for older people or a war memorial project.

He's not 'bickering', or criticising the Irish project, but he's commenting on an anomaly.

Gwyn