Ringwood residents asked to stump up for £8,500 war memorial revamp

RINGWOOD residents will be asked to make donations to help pay for more than £4,000 of work to spruce up the town’s crumbling war memorial.

The memorial, which is made of Portland stone and stands on a green adjacent to the junction of Christchurch Road, Mansfield Road and the High Street, needs pointing work, cleaning and stonework repairs. The lettering also requires an update.

An architect has designed improvements alongside the town council, New Forest District Council’s conservation officer and advice from the War Memorials Trust, because there are tight rules and regulations on what work can be carried out on the memorial and how it is done.

The cost of the project is £8,471. The War Memorials trust has awarded a grant covering half of that, and the remainder must be raised by other means.

The town council has agreed to underwrite £4,336 for the project but at its latest policy and finance meeting members approved setting up a crowdfunding page.

However, they said it will not be launched for some time, amid the coronavirus outbreak.

“I’m happy to agree to it but I don’t think now is exactly the time to be going out to people,” committee chairman Cllr Jeremy Heron said.

A crowdfunding page will be set up in the coming months, and donations will be sought.

Councillors also voted to use any money they get left over from its lantern memorial project, which could amount to a few hundred pounds.