At Risk War Memorials Project

What would you do if you saw a piece of sacred local history sitting forgotten in a shop window?

​Over ten years ago, a local volunteer did exactly that—rescuing two water-damaged, hand-stitched memorial embroideries from gathering dust right here in a Leicester charity shop. Thanks to years of continuous, dedicated research, we finally pieced their identity back together. They belonged to two young brothers—James and Reginald Gale—who left their family home and both gave their lives in 1917.

​The heartbreaking journey of the Gale brothers and the story of how their legacy was saved is featured fully in our latest issue of the LAST POST newsletter.

👇 How to read the story and get updates:
Click the link below, and once the page loads, just scroll down to the bottom to sign up for email updates. You will receive the full newsletter along with all our quarterly project updates sent directly to your inbox!

​www.atriskwarmemorials.co.uk/contact

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Blog Posts Revisited: At the Going Down of the Sun

LAHS Member Denis Kenyon shares his experiences as co-founder of the At Risk War Memorials Project

Visit https://lahs.org.uk/blog/at-the-going-down-of-the-sun #

The next Open Day for the project will be:

All Saints Church, 107 Highcross St, Leicester LE1 4PH, UK
Date/Time
Date(s) - July 25, 2026
11:00 am - 4:00 pm

When local buildings change hands, vital history is frequently left at risk. Discover the heartbreaking journey of how two former pupils tracked down a historic WWI bronze plaque and a large oak WWII board from the City of Leicester Boys' School before intense heat ruined them forever.

​Read the full rescue story in the latest issue of the LAST POST newsletter:
🔗 www.atriskwarmemorials.co.uk/contact

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If you missed this one, don't worry! Our mission to protect Leicestershire's fragile heritage continues, and we are already preparing for our next event.

​📅 Save the Date:
Our next Open Day will be on Saturday 25th July 2026. Mark your calendars—we would love to see you there!

​In the meantime, you can support our work, search our growing archives, and sign up to receive our quarterly project newsletter, LAST POST, directly to your inbox. Help us hit our next reader milestone!
​👇 Sign up and explore our work here:
www.atriskwarmemorials.co.uk/contact
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This weekend 🔔 head down and see us this Bank Holiday weekend.

🔔 Open Day Saturday 23rd May 11.00 am to 4.00 pm.

12.00 noon (approx) Talk – “Hallaton men in the Second Boer War” – by Denis Kenyon

We look forward to seeing you there.

The ARWMP Team

Another fantastic event at the Heritage Hub University of Leicester 🌟 thank you to everyone who saiid hello.

We will be there this Saturday. From 12pm until 4pm.

Come and say hello. We appreciate all of your support.

Are you looking for something to do later this month?

We'll will be joining lots of other local heritage organisations at the FREE University of Leicester's Heritage Hub Celebration of Heritage event on Saturday 21st March!

This event is open to all so please come along and find out more about your local history and archaeology! We'd love to see you there!

📆 Saturday 21st March
⏰ 12 pm - 4pm
📍 Student's Union, Percy Gee, University of Leicester
🎟 Free

On Saturday 14th March, we are to be honoured by a formal visit by Deputy Lieutenant Robert Nixon, CBE, QPM, representing the Lord Lieutenant.

He he will give a short speech at about 11.45 am

At about 12.30pm Peter Kilty will give a talk about Sir Fabian Ware, the founder of the Imperial War Graves Commission.

Look forward to seeing you

ATB

Thirty years of dedication to remembrance, local history, and community care, and now a very well-deserved MBE. 🎉🎉🎉

We're delighted to share that long-time Festival of Archaeology event organiser Denis Kenyon has been awarded an MBE for services to war commemoration in the New Year Honours.

Denis has spent decades championing local history and remembrance in Leicestershire, from leading the Hallaton in the Great War project and award-winning exhibitions, to rescuing and researching war memorials so the stories behind the names are never lost. His work is rooted in care, collaboration, and a deep belief that history matters to communities today.

For us at the CBA, Denis is also a familiar and much-valued face. He’s been a committed Festival of Archaeology event organiser for many years, joining early evaluation conversations and acting as a fantastic ambassador for grassroots archaeology. More importantly, he’s a genuinely kind, thoughtful, and generous person to collaborate with.

Huge congratulations, Denis, and thank you for everything you’ve given to the Festival of Archaeology, remembrance, and your community.