Armed Forces Memorial

[Roland Pulfrew]

Just checked and done my donation. Forces Memorial is a charity and it is 28 pence in the pound that they can claim from the government not 26. (With the added benefit that higher rate tax payers can also claim more back from the Treasury on their tax returns so another donation to folllow).

[LoeyDaFrog]

A fine, fitting and permenant tribute to our comrades who have fallen before us. Have donated with pride.

[Arkroyal]

Lottery funding.............................Hmmmmmmmmmm.

I guess we just have to wait a few years until wimin and gays who've died for their country to outnumber the folk who've passed away so far.

Now to the website, and the credit card.

[Maple 01]

But a good few servicemen who've been killed over the years must have been 'gay' - I seem to recall that the unofficial policy was that as long as it wasn't too obvious no-one said anything. So should be OK on that count, also the British armed forces were multicultural before the word was invented so a tick in the box there. Disabled? Well there are a few of us on low med cats - does that count?

Also I hope the Air Cadets that went down with the Wessex a while back are remembered - being part of the family and all.

[idle-centralise]

and the UAS stude that died at Woodvale hopefully.

[rafloo]

Not sure that the UAS stude will get his name there bt he should do

[X-QUORK]

Have donated and forwarded the link to all mil types I know with e-mail - I'd request that everyone does the same.

A great idea and long overdue.

[kippermate]

The LUAS stude was a female, and I will contact those involved to put forward the case.

kipper.

Credit card out.

[Scud-U-Like]

May I suggest some of you read about the work of the National Heritage Memorial Fund (funded by the National Lottery), before posting the usual halfwitted Daily Mail-type guff about Lottery funding:

http://www.hlf.org.uk/NHMFWeb/AbouttheNHMF

The memorial is a fine idea.

[Roland Pulfrew]

Chaps,

Following the debate on will and will not be eligible I contacted the Armed Forces Memorial people this was their reply:

As a general rule if a member of the reserve forces is killed on duty, i.e. while they are on annual camp or attending a drill night and their death is directly related to their service, their names will be included on the Armed Forces Memorial. In the event that their death while on duty was the result of natural causes, it is unlikely that their name would be included on the AFM, but it would be included on the Rolls of Honour for their respective Service. In any event, the Trustees have discretion to include or exclude certain cases.

Hope that helps clarify things....a bit.

[Maple 01]

Sorry to be so thick but do cadets count as reserve forces? - BTW haven't been reading the Daily Mail, just the site where they say they have been turned down for lottery funding- any ideas why?

[The Helpful Stacker]

Sorry to be so thick but do cadets count as reserve forces? - BTW haven't been reading the Daily Mail, just the site where they say they have been turned down for lottery funding- any ideas why?

I believe its for the same reason that some service charities have had applications for Lottery funding turned down, because the 'facility' won't be of benefit to the entire population or something, only service personnel.

[lineslime]

I guess modern arts are of a benefit to the whole country. I mean the armed forces do absolutly nothing, and have done absolutly nothing for this country. It makes I mad that lottery money is thrown at various "good causes" which haven't benefited me one jot, yet something which pays tribute to those who have defended this country, and still do, won't recieve any funding. Will someone please step in and sort this out, those who have passed, and those yet to pass deserve it!!!!

[Scud-U-Like]

The Daily Mail patio falangists strike again.

There are very many examples of lottery funding going to war and armed conflict commemoration projects.

The £12.3 million Home Front Recall scheme is a joint funding initiative from lottery good cause distributors the Big Lottery Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund to provide grants for activities across the UK to commemorate the part played by those on the home front during the war years – among them veteran firefighters, auxiliary services, nurses, Bevin Boys, dock workers, ex-service clubs and people in many other roles.

The RAF Museum is to undergo a major £7.5 million expansion at its site in Hendon, north-west London, with additional space for historic aircraft and a large-scale exhibition scheduled to mark the centenary of powered flight in 2003.

Their Past Year Future is a two-year education project that explores what we can learn about issues such as commemoration, conflict and citizenship. Marking the sixtieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the project is led by the Imperial War Museum and supported by the Big Lottery Fund. Their Past Your Future includes a wide range of activity for all ages throughout the UK. Find out more.

HMS Warrior

I could go on.

[Maple 01]

All well and good Scud, but still dosn't answer the question - why was the memorial turned down for funding?

[Scud-U-Like]

I'm not sure the Memorial has been conclusively turned down for lottery funding and, according to the AF Memorial Project website, "This option is still being pursued".

[Roland Pulfrew]

Seems to have lost its 'sticky' characteristics, so back to the top.

[Roland Pulfrew]

Ladies and Gents
Given the on going losses being experienced I just thought it might be time to bring this to the fore again:

http://www.forcesmemorial.org.uk/memorialproject.asp

Maybe I should have posted on some of the more general areas in PPRuNe, perhaps the mods could move it if they feel it more appropriate?

Perhaps someone who uses ARRSE might like to readvertise there as well.

[cazatou]

I think you will find that the LAST thing the current Government would want is a Memorial to those killed on THEIR watch!!!!!

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

The point you make is very laudable but I fear that we may become too mawkish and, perhaps, devalue the memorials we already have. The Cenotaph has grown beyond its original purpose; the commemoration of the souls lost in the, then, Great War. We now remember those who have given their lives since then; be it the 2nd World War, Korea, Malaya and so on. The National Arboretum is a living memorial that already exists and has the flexibility to grow as discreet events dictate.

There is a modern trend not to mourn in our traditional British way. Witness the near hysteria at the funeral of the Princess Diana and the myriad roadside “shrines” of flowers, teddy bears and the like. We are who we are and we must think rationally and carefully about how we do things. Maybe tradition is old fashioned but our Military is founded on it.

For my part, for what it’s worth, lets keep what we have and build on that. Maybe we should leave the breakaway movements to the foreigners.