News story: How you can get involved
From learning about your local heroes to helping your community mark the centenary, there are plenty of ways you can get involved in commemorating the First World War.
Commemorating Victoria Cross recipients
Special commemorative paving stones will be laid in the home towns of all those in the in the United Kingdom awarded the Victoria Cross for valour ‘in the face of the enemy’ during the conflict.
In your community, you can find out more about your local heroes and their extraordinary bravery and service fighting for their country. You will also be able to gain a greater understanding of how your area fitted into the story of the First World War.
Spreadsheet with a list of all First World War VC recipients, by area
Discover Victoria Cross recipients in your area via our spreadsheet (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 89KB) .
Battlefield visits
We are providing funding for 2 children and 1 teacher from every maintained school in Britain to visit battlefields on the western front. These visits will teach children the scale of the suffering inflicted by the war.
No community was untouched by a family tragedy during the First World War and the children will also be asked to research people from their communities who fought in the war, emphasising that all of us have some connection with the conflict.
Find out more about battlefield visits
Access help from Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund can help your community, group or organisation mark the centenary by offering you a grant. This money can help you explore, conserve and share anything from memorials and buildings to photographs, letters and literature. A variety of grants are available from £3,000 – £100,000 upwards.
Use the special centenary branding
Please do use our special First World War centenary logo to mark your remembrance activities and anniversary events. Together with Imperial War Museums (IWM), this centenary logo has been designed for non-commercial use by you, your organisation, group, charity or company.
Join the First World War Centenary Partnership
Join a network of over 1,400 local, regional, national and international, cultural and educational organisations. Led by the Imperial War Museums (IWM), the partnership will present a vibrant programme which will enable millions of people across the world to discover more about life in the First World War. By becoming a member of the partnership, you will have access to a wealth of expertise and resources. You will also have the opportunity to promote your local events through a centenary calendar on 1914.org.
How to join the First World War Centenary Partnership
Share your family’s First World War legacy
The Lives of the First World War site is an innovative, interactive platform that will bring together material from museums, libraries, archives and families from across the world in one place. You can upload your own family images and mementos to help built a digital memorial showcasing the stories of more than eight million men and women.
These will be accessible to everyone and saved for future generations.