First World War centenary project launched by Royal Borough

A project to pay tribute to those from the Royal Borough who died during the First World War has been officially launched.

For King and Country was introduced at a special event on Friday and a presentation on the project was delivered.

It aims to create a lasting legacy for those who lost their lives, in the form of an online database including the names of everyone included on the borough's 203 known war memorials, along with their stories.

At the launch event, the Mayor of Windsor and Maidenhead, Cllr Richard Kellaway, reminded the gathering that those who died were 'people like you and me'.

"This sort of project is a wonderful thing to get everyone involved in," he said.

This year marks 100 years since the start of the 1914-18 conflict.

The council's project began in September following a successful bid for around £94,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The database will be hosted by the For King and Country website which is set to go live early next year.

The site will also include an interactive map, stories found during research, a schools page and an events page.

Research for the database is already underway, and about 30 volunteers attended Friday's event at Maidenhead Town Hall to hear about the different roles available as part of the project.

Kate Pitt, education officer for the project, said it was really encouraging to see an excellent turnout at the meeting, which led to some generous offers of help.

"We look forward to some exciting discoveries - and to uncovering more of the stories behind the names on the memorials across the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead that we can share on the website in the near future," she added.

More people are needed to help run events and collect information from the public.

Other events planned include exhibitions, a programme of talks and school and library visits.

New signage for key memorials and a guided walks programme are also in the pipeline, along with drama workshops and a performance.

Potential volunteers should email ww1.rbwm@rbwm.gov.uk or call 01753 743950.

Click here for more details.