War graves volunteers begin Eyes On, Hands On project

The first volunteers have begun to help with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Eyes On, Hands On initiative; designed to maintain war graves across the UK.

The Commission unveiled the project earlier this year. It is designed to look after memorials to around 300,000 service personnel commemorated at more than 12,500 locations nationwide.

Speaking at its launch Victoria Wallace, director general of CWGC, said: “This is a fantastic way for people to show they care for our war dead, without having to travel to the far-off battlefields. Almost every community lost men and women, and in keeping an eye on their graves, and tidying them up, we honour them every day, and not just on Remembrance Sunday.”

Volunteers will help CWGC maintain war graves in their area, taking on tasks such as trimming vegetation and cleaning headstones.

Among the first groups to take part were young people from service families at Lincolnshire’s RAF Coningsby, an airfield that was used extensively during the Second World War.

Photo credit: CWCG