Cheltenham Remembers

In 2018, Cheltenham Borough Council led a community partnership project to commemorate the First World War centenary, known as 'Cheltenham Remembers'. Working collaboratively with partners, we delivered a diverse programme of commemorative activities including an emotive memorial march (where a number of those participating carried the name of their wartime relative as an act of personal remembrance), a unique audio-visual projection on to the council offices, exhibitions, living history, performances, school engagement and the restoration of war memorials. Wider involvement with 30 supporting partners, funders and local projects also sought to engage and capture the imagination of our communities, by delivering a diverse commemorative programme and range of events, all aimed to engage, educate and entertain whilst also providing opportunities for residents to reflect and commemorate Cheltonians. Cheltenham Borough Council successfully gained match funding from the Heritage Lottery, and supporting donations from the Cheltenham BID and Everyman Theatre meant that the majority of events were free to attend. The project subsequently evolved to incorporate website design, with a video showcasing untold stories as well as the restoration of a war memorial which featured in a series of Historic England restoration technique videos. Some key project outputs included: 1) Approximately 34,000 people engaged with at least one element of the project and our events generated a total of 1,880 volunteer days. 2) 100% of workshop participants said they had developed new skills and made a positive contribution to heritage, community or society. 3) A digitised schools learning pack available via the website. 4) A schools visit programme to exhibitions co-ordinated by the Royal Air Force Association.