Funding boost for Macclesfield War Graves project

A scheme to maintain and repair war graves and bring the lessons of armed conflict into classrooms has been given a £4,000 boost by Cheshire East Council.

The deputy leader of the council, David Brown, presented a grant cheque for the sum when he visited the Macclesfield War Graves Project.

The project, which is being supported by the council, was set up to look after the 83 war dead in Macclesfield Cemetery – some of whose graves were in a terrible state of repair – and to engage with and inform local schoolchildren.

Founder of the project, Trevor Druce, said: “We recognised that there were stark differences between the beautiful condition of war graves in Belgium and France to those in such poor condition in Macclesfield Cemetery – and that something needed to be done.

“The project has engaged children from six local primary schools (Ash Grove, Christ the King, Marlborough, Puss Bank, Upton Priory and King’s Juniors) who, as well as doing some tremendous fundraising, will also spend time researching each individual soldier.

“It is hoped that via this work they will learn through the discovery of things – such as old photos, letters, postcards from the front, medals, newspaper cuttings and other such things relevant to the project.”

He continued: “There are a total of 83 Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) graves in Macclesfield Cemetery, with 50 from the First World War and 33 from the Second World War and, with each school ‘adopting’ a number of graves, it is hoped the memory of the fallen will live on and that our younger generation will learn and understand the real impact of war.

“So, after making an application to Cheshire East Council, we are grateful to have received a grant of £4,000 which we have used to fund essential repair work.

“In doing so, we’ve worked closely with Macclesfield-based Whitby’s Granite Products, who have done a brilliant job on the restoration work so far, and have also made a fantastic donation of a £6,000 plaque listing the names of the 83 soldiers.

“The plaque is a worthy tribute to their names and we are now ready to install it at Macclesfield Cemetery as soon as we have final permission from  CWGC .”