World War One Commemoration News - 18th May 2015

News from the Pillaton World War One Commemoration Group

It is just over a year since this group was formed, with two events organised in 2014 by the Management Committee – the Plant a Million Poppies in May and the Vigil in St Odulph’s on 4 August commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Great Britain’s Declaration of War.

For 2015, to support the group’s aim of providing a lasting commemoration of the impact of World War One on Pillaton and wider society, two fund raising events are in the initial stages of planning. These will be a Cream Tea and a charity Clay Pigeon Shoot both probably in September. Full details of both events will be announced as soon as the events and their dates are confirmed.

The local fund raising, together with submission of grant applications to local and national funding sources, is in support of the Group’s objective of providing a lasting commemoration legacy. This is to purchase for the parish, in perpetuity, the playing field adjacent to Pillaton Village Hall. This facility is currently leased to the local community (unlike the Village Hall which is owned outright), but the owners have kindly and generously agreed in principle to sell this crucial, much loved and well used resource. Whilst details remain commercially confidential, the Group’s Management Committee feels that raising sufficient funds, both locally from within the community, and from grant applications, is achievable, and can be completed before the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War in November 2018.

The Group also hopes to publish more information and historical background to the First World War, and especially its impact on Pillaton over the course of the next three years.

Please do support these fund raising events. If you have any ideas or would like to assist or contribute to the above events, please contact either the Group’s Chairman, Peter Johnson (351409) or Secretary, Chris Ley (351033). Thank you.