Bloor Homes supports appeal to honour Long Itchington's war memorial

War Memorial Long Itchington (Warmli) was formed three years ago by a group of volunteers determined to provide a lasting tribute to the villagers who died while serving in the First and Second World Wars.

 

The group set itself a target to raise around £20,000 through a variety of fundraising events and donations, including a contribution of £1,000 from Bloor Homes, whose Lilac View development is located on Marton Road. The group is delighted that the total raised by the end of the fundraising stage of the project was over £35,000. 

 

Warmli submitted a planning application to Stratford-on-Avon District Council seeking permission to install the war memorial on the village green and approval was granted w/c 2nd April.

 

It is hoped that the money raised will not only provide for the cost of building and installing the memorial, but will also ensure that the ongoing maintenance costs of the memorial will be covered for the future.

 

The war memorial will be inscribed with the names of the 49 men from the village who died while serving in the two World Wars. A wooden screen located inside Holy Trinity Church carries the names of 43 of the men, but since launching its appeal, the group has learned of a further six people who were killed during the conflicts.

 

David Berry, chairman of Warmli, said: “Many villages have a permanent memorial to those who made the ultimate sacrifice serving their country and we believe that Long Itchington should have one too. Although there is a wooden screen in the church which carries the names of those from the village who died during the two World Wars, we wanted to provide a memorial which is visible to the whole community. 

 

“With no grants available for new war memorials, we have had to rely on the support of people in the village and the generosity of local businesses, which is why we are extremely grateful to Bloor Homes for their donation.

 

“The response from the local community has been absolutely fantastic and we hope to have the new war memorial in place in time for Remembrance Day 2018, which will mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.”

 

Michele Rose, Regional Sales Director at Bloor Homes Midlands, said: “Supporting the local communities in which we build is very important to us, and it is to clear see how much having a permanent war memorial in the village means to the residents of Long Itchington.

 

“We are therefore delighted to make a contribution towards the fundraising appeal to ensure that the sacrifices made by those who served during the two World Wars are remembered for generations to come.”