VJ Day commemorations to receive Lottery grants

The government has announced lottery funding for events marking the 60th anniversary of VJ Day across the UK, next week.

Nearly 3,000 projects across the UK have received grants from the £17 million fund to help finance specials projects including musical events, re-enactments, aerial displays, street parties, exhibitions and storytelling events.

One of the events benefiting from government funding is the Festival of History at Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire, on August 13-14. The festival received a grant for £20,000 to help fund special war themes and Home Front displays, 1940s entertainment and a flypast of three Spitfires and a Hurricane.

Event manager Emily Burns said: “This is our chance to commemorate VJ Day and revere our war veterans and those who contributed to the Home Front efforts during the conflict. The festival is an opportunity to reach a huge audience and pass on the stories and personal accounts from the veterans and historians to the younger generation.”

The events are just some of the initiatives being funded through the Lottery’s Home Front Recall multi-million pound lottery-funding scheme.

The £22.3 million scheme, a joint initiative from Lottery good cause distributors the Big Lottery Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund, supports activities commemorating the part played by those on the home front during the Second World War, such as former fire fighters, auxiliary services and nurses.

Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Liz Forgan, said: “The debt we owe to those who participated in the Second World War effort from all walks of life is immense and one that must never be forgotten. I can think of no better way of using Heritage Lottery Fund cash than to help support this tremendous programme. It will preserve and honour the memories and bravery of countless men and women ensuring that their sacrifice is remembered by future generations.”

(KMcA/SP)