What is the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation and what do we do?

Unfamiliar with the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation? Don’t worry! Here’s a handy guide on who we are, what we do, and how you can support us. 

The Commonwealth War Graves Foundation 

What is the CWGF? 

The Commonwealth War Graves Foundation is the charity arm of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is a global leader in commemoration. Over 1.7 million casualties of the World Wars are in its care with more than 300,000 commemorated in the UK alone. 

Because the CWGC was founded by Royal Charter, there are several activities outside of its remit that a charity can cover instead. 

That’s why the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation was established. 

Since 2017, we’ve been on a gradual growth journey to help educate and inform the general public on the work of both our organisations and the casualties we commemorate. 

At present, we’re only a small team but each of us here at the Foundation are history enthusiasts at our core. We’re also immensely grateful for the sacrifice made by millions in the World Wars. 

What does the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation do? 

As touched on above, education and outreach are our core missions. 

We keep the memories of the Commonwealth’s war dead alive by telling their stories. How do we do that? With various programmes, events, challenges and more. 

We routinely visit organisations of all shapes and sizes across the UK to spread our message. These range from schools, colleges, and universities to women’s groups, private businesses, and everything in between. 

Our activities include guest speaker talks, covering stories of the casualties commemorated by Commonwealth War Graves and how the CWGC and CWGF commemorate them. 

You can also read our We Tell Their Stories series of blogs to learn more interesting and inspirational tales of World War casualties in our care.  

It’s imperative we keep their memories alive so younger generations can learn of their sacrifices in the hope the world can work towards a peaceful future. 

You’ll also find our iconic yellow-coloured stands at events up and down the country, such as the Chalke Valley History Festival or on Armed Forces Day. 

Volunteering 

Image: A volunteer guest speaker gives a tour around Greenock Cemetery, Scotland

We also host volunteers from around the country. These history lovers often become our eyes and ears on the ground, helping the Commission’s horticultural and operational teams around the country care for CWGC cemeteries and memorials. 

The Commission looks after 160,000 headstones split over 13,000 locations in the UK alone.  

Under the Eyes On, Hands On programme, our volunteers help out by going into their local cemeteries, or checking out nearby memorials, noting any damage or maintenance needed and reporting that back to Commission teams.  

They also get stuck in cleaning and preserving headstones too. 

Our guest speakers are also an important part of our education programme. These are the folks that go into schools and organisations across the UK and deliver talks to inform their audience on who we are, who the CWGC is, and the commemoration work they do. 

Be sure to check out your volunteer opportunities if you’d like to get involved! 

We also partner with various companies to raise money to support our work, support our commercial partners, and keep raising further awareness.  

Our most recent collaborations include partnering with the Seeds4Bees and the Devil’s Bean Coffee Co. for unique products and sponsorship opportunities. 

Get in touch if you’d like to partner with us! We’d love to work with you. 

Commonwealth War Graves Guides 

Another project we run in partnership with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is the Guides Programme. 

This is an opportunity for young history enthusiasts to share their knowledge and get real-world experience at Commission sites in Belgium and France. They become our first point of contact on the ground, acting as guides around sites such as the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme in France or Tyne Cot Cemetery in Belgium. 

While there, they also provide us blogs and videos sharing their experiences.  

We’re all about reaching younger generations at the CWGF and the Guides Programme is a great way for us to do it. 

Events 

From virtual challenges to large-scale concerts, we put on various fundraising events throughout the year. 

Highlights include our Evening at Brookwood concerts, held at the largest Commission cemetery in the UK, and our Commemorations at Christmas carol service. 

Head over to our Events page to see what’s coming up. 

How can you support the Foundation? 

If you’d like to generously support us, great!

Becoming a member is the simplest way to do it. For just £3 a month, you can help us do the work we do in keeping the memories and stories of our war dead alive. If you’d like to make a one-off donation, that’s great too. 

With your help, we can continue to spread the word about the great work of the CWGC and continue to develop new ideas and initiatives to help with remembrance.  

To everyone who already is a CWGF supporter, we’d like to say a profound thank you. It’s down to your generosity that we can continue to keep the memories of the Commonwealth’s war dead alive.