Do you know about the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation’s projects?

Our projects are how we deliver our core mission of keeping the memories of the Commonwealth’s war dead alive. Here’s what you need to know about the main CWGF projects.

Commonwealth War Graves Foundation Projects

Eyes On, Hands On

Eyes On, Hands On (EOHO) is one of our signature and most successful projects at the CWGF.

We’re blessed with having history all over the UK. With EOHO, we’re inviting volunteers across the land to get out and get involved in experiencing history in their local area.

How? By getting them to help us maintain war graves around the country.

With over 160,000 Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstones in the UK, you can imagine the task Commission staff have to keep them up to their high standards.

While we’re lucky to have history in our towns and villages in Britain, we also have to put up lots of wind, rain, and gloomy weather. Headstones and war memorials are battered by the elements.

The Commission’s staff do an incredible job, they can’t be everywhere at once. That’s where our amazing Eyes On, Hands On volunteers come into their own!

Under the supervision of Commission maintenance teams and coordinators, we send out our volunteers into nearby cemeteries and churchyards to help inspect our war graves.

Those very rare sites in especially poor condition are flagged to the Commission’s teams but if the headstones just need a quick clean, an EOHO volunteer will be there with a brush and warm water.

In addition to helping the Commonwealth War Graves Commission keep its UK headstones in top condition, Eyes On, Hands On allows volunteers to learn more stories of the fallen. It’s important their sacrifice is never forgotten.

Preserving their headstones and sharing their stories helps us do just that.

Guides Programme

The Guides Programme is another collaboration between the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation and Commission.

While projects and programmes like Eyes On, Hands On are open to volunteers of all ages, the Guides Programme is geared towards young history lovers.

It provides a unique experience to A-level, college and university-age students and history enthusiasts to get out into the world and share their knowledge with visitors to some of the CWGC’s most iconic sites.

While out in the field, the Guides become the Commission’s focal point. They offer guided tours around sites like the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme or Tyne Cot Cemetery.

Guides also produce interesting blogs, videos, and content sharing their experience and what they’ve learned.

Connecting with younger generations is one of our most important missions at the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation.

The bulk of the men and women who lost their lives in the World Wars were only young themselves. It’s vitally important we recognise and nurture young people’s understanding and interest in our shared history. The Guides is part of our mission to do just that while also supporting the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Volunteer speakers

We also work on the volunteer speakers project which gives history lovers of all ages the to help spread the word about the Foundation’s work, the CWGC, and the stories of those commemorated by us.

Our UK-wide network of talented speakers regularly engages with schools, colleges, scout/guide groups, businesses, faith groups, rotary clubs, and many more different organisations. They also host workshops and seminars with groups of all shapes and sizes.

The CWGC commemorates 1.7 million casualties globally. 300,000 of those are located in the UK. Their stories are worth sharing and telling. Our volunteer speakers are a key cog in our storytelling machine.

We provide speakers with a template to follow for such presentations, but generally, each workshop is tailored to the target audience. The themes our highly talented speakers can elaborate on are:

• The Commission’s work through presentations on its history and work, including a look at war graves nearby, personal stories of the fallen, and information on the Foundation.
• Lead workshops and talks on important anniversaries, such as Remembrance Day, VE & VJ Day, D-Day, and so on.
• The CWGF and promote donations and/or memberships. Education is at the core of what we do after all!

Think you’ve got what it takes to be a volunteer speaker? Make sure you take a look at the Volunteers page to find the latest opportunities.

Stay tuned for more updates from the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation

We are always looking for new innovative ways to help tell the stories of the Commonwealth’s fallen.

Keep coming back to learn more about the exciting new projects we have in the pipeline.