A project to mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War has been launched by Somerset Heritage Service following a grant of £66,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Drawing on this poignant anniversary, the Somerset Remembers project will explore the impact and long-term effects of the conflict on Somerset, and will look at the many ways in which Somerset people, their families and communities have remembered the war.
Somerset Remembers will pay tribute to the sacrifices made by Somerset people both during and after the First World War. It will also help people today to learn about the impact of the war.
The project's centrepiece will be a major exhibition at The Museum of Somerset, which will open in August 2014. A touring exhibition will visit other venues across the county.
There will be many opportunities for people to get involved in the project, either through volunteering, sharing memories, records or artefacts, or through participating in a wide range of activities and events.
Activities will include talks, open days, object handling, readings, re-enactments and drop-in sessions for people to bring in items for inclusion in a community archive. There will also be a programme of special events including a football match on a memorial playing field and a special concert.
Tom Mayberry, Somerset's heritage officer, said: "It seems appropriate and very important that we should remember the First World War and what it meant for Somerset people.
"We are very grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the generous support they are giving to the project."
As part of the project, a team of volunteers at the Somerset Heritage Centre will digitise and transcribe First World War documents. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact the Heritage Centre on 01823 278805 or email archives@somerset.gov.uk
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