We are delighted to support local events and projects commemorating Armistice Day on Sunday 11 November across West and North Dorset, Weymouth and Portland.
Beacon lighting event
Our events team have been busy organising Weymouth’s part of the national Beacon lighting event. It will take place at the Nothe Fort with free entry to the public. The event starts at 6pm with the Beacon Lighting at 7pm and featuring a variety of performances. These includes feature the Bovington Military Wives Choir and the popular Decadettes. The evening will be hosted by the Mayor of Weymouth and Portland, Cllr Gill Taylor.
In our communities
Our community development team have been working with 6 primary schools in Weymouth. Children made 120 thank you letters to veterans, pictures and hand-made poppies.
Dove making sessions have been held in residential homes, schools and community groups and organisations, churches and The Veterans Hub.
3,700 doves are currently hanging from the ceiling in St. Mary’s church in Weymouth.
Cllr Jon Orrell, Briefholder for Social Inclusion, said “We have seen the community come together to create some wonderful things to pay respect to those who made such a big sacrifice for our country. I wish to extend a big thank you to the volunteers from local churches and housing associations, who have helped with the installations.”
The church will be hosting an event on the 3 November 10.30 – 2.30pm. Local modern day veterans are coming along to share their stories, and The Veterans Hub will be providing a delicious lunch.
Pages of the Sea
Lyme Regis – 11am onwards
Weymouth – 12.30pm onwards
Pages of the Sea is director Danny Boyle’s commission for 14-18 Now to mark the centenary of Armistice Day. Communities are gathering across the country at beaches as part a unique moment to say goodbye to the millions of men and women who left their shores during the war, many never to return. Large scale portraits of individual soldiers will be created in the sands on the day. Just released information on who will be drawn in to Lyme Regis and Weymouth’s beaches is available here.
Learn more about this moving dedication here.
Royal British Legion
Once again, the ‘Let’s Make it’ Group have raised over £2,000 for the Royal British Legion by selling knitted poppies.
West Dorset
Cllr Peter Shorland, Chairman for West Dorset District Council, made a fund available earlier this year. He says: “I wanted to ensure that we supported community projects that wishes to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the end of the First World War. We awarded over £8,000 to a variety of projects taking place across West Dorset .”
| Organisation | Project description | £ |
| Allington Hill, Cooper’s Wood and Field Community Group | To hold a commemoration in memory of the 153 local men who lost their lives during WW1. The group have registered to have one of the official beacons on top of Allington Hill lit. An open air service at dusk will be include tree planting and be followed with by food and music. |
£400 |
| Dorchester Town Council | A one-day free access event on 7th November at the Corn Exchange called ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’ which will take place between 10.30am – 4pm. | £500 |
| Broadwind-sor WI | Had a commemoration event earlier in the month. | £500 |
| Cattistock Parish Council | A commemorative booklet for every household in the village, providing information on Cattistock during the Great War, renovations of the war memorial and lots of other activities including a dinner dance and commissioned Requiem and lighting of a beacon. | £500 |
| Sydling St Nicholas Parish Council | Over 35 members of the village are knitting 1,000 poppies which will be sewn onto netting and then displayed in the church. An exhibition and an evening of Remembrance will be held on 10 November. | £250 |
| Evershot Parish Council | A display on 11 November in St Osmund’s Church in Evershot of handmade poppies together with photographs of resident’s relations who served in the First World War, as well as books, documents, paintings, photographs that are relevant to WW1. The village will also light a beacon. | £350 |
| Char Valley Parish Council | Activity took place on the weekend of 24/25 March at Whitchurch Canonicorum Village Hall and was titled 100 years on – The Whitchurch Men who went to War. | £250 |
| Drimpton Village Hall | The village is organising a week of events and activities which will culminate in a commemorative show. As part of this they will be holding various art and craft workshops which will be focused on creating poppies in a variety of forms. | £350 |
| Owermoigne Parish Council | A planting programme to replace a stand of mature beech trees in the playing field that are gradually being lost to age and disease. A commemorative plaque will be played by the trees. | £250 |
| Puncknowl-e & Swyre Parish Council | Install and dedicate a sunken trampoline at the village playing field that is used by many children. The Parish Council will place a plaque next to the sunken trampoline with the inscription “On this hundredth anniversary of the ending of the First World War, 1914 to 1918, this trampoline is dedicated to those who gave their lives in that conflict that we might live, work and play in freedom”. | £500 |
| Eype History Society | To hold a 5-day exhibition at St Peter’s church in Eype to display the results of four years’ research into the Eype men who served in WW1. A sponsored poppy trail and set up an education area with maps, WW1 explanations, trench cake and bully beef and will invite local schools to learn and explore. | £500 |
| Bridport Arts Centre | To develop a special youth theatre production for the public at Bridport Arts Centre featuring the centre’s own youth theatre. The production will be a contemporary response to the struggle and conflict (both emotionally and physically) that the young men going to war faced a century ago. | £500 |
| Bridport Town Council | A wall clock for the Town Hall and a plaque will be unveiled by the oldest community member who has connection with Bridport town during WW1. A maximum of 100 members of the community who have similar connections with the town (the hall holds a max of 100) will be invited to the event, which will include afternoon tea (WW1 style preferred) and poetry and prose readings by poets and writers of the time. | £500 |
| Benefice of Abbotsbury, Portesham & Langton Herring | A lunch (after the Remembrance Service at St Peter’s Church in Portesham) to commemorate the armistice and remember those who died for their country from the 3 villages and to give thanks for those who returned. | £500 |
| Piddle Valley Parish Council | The Parish Council would like to plant a tree, along with a plaque, to commemorate the WW1 centenary. It is hoped that the oldest resident of the Valley will attend the event and help to plant the tree. | £500 |
| Tolpuddle Village Hall and St John’s Church, Tolpuddle | It is proposed to commission a memorial plaque to be placed in an appropriate place within St John’s church/churchyard. It is hoped that the unveiling would take place on Saturday 10 November and be followed by an event at the village hall. | £500 |
| Stratton Parish Council | To erect a short length of metal railing fence with two supporting posts behind the existing War Memorial. The metal railing will have appropriate hooks so that wreaths being presented can hang securely from the fence. A permanent plaque will be attached to the railing – expressing the memory of the people of Stratton at the centenary anniversary of the ending of the Great War, along with metal symbolic Poppies attached to the railing. | £250 |
| Bridport Heritage Forum | An exhibitions entitled ‘War, Peace and New Beginnings’, a pop-up exhibition at West Bay, lectures, talks, schools projects and the publication of a book. | £500 |
| Parish of the Winterbournes | A 3-stranded Armistice Commemoration in Martinstown to be held in November, and will focus on poetry and music from the era. | £450 |
| TOTAL AWARDED: | £8,050 | |
