A FUNDING drive has been put in place to help Malpas celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the First World War armistice.

Residents in Malpas have formed a committee to organise a series of events for the commemoration and is aiming to hold Malpas 100 Years On from November 9 to 11, marking Remembrance Day.

On the Go Fund Me page, the committee says it is “aiming to rejuvenate an understanding of the impact of the Great War” through activities and events.

A dedicated team is already planning educational resources to involve local schools in research into local heroes listed in Malpas’ Roll of Honour.

A First World War trench network and military field hospital will be set up, while local and former residents are being encouraged to share family photographs and memorabilia from the period for an exhibition.

Schoolchildren are being asked to help in providing what will go on display by finding out what contribution, military or otherwise, their families made in the war, gathering photos and memorabilia and writing up their family histories both for display and for reading out at a live event. Shop windows, period costume and re-enactments are set to transport Malpas village back in time. Working alongside the 100-year anniversary of the foundation of the RAF on April 1, a launch event could take place as early as later this month and repeated in June to inspire the search for artefacts to display in November.

Aiming to appeal to all ages, the wartime weekend currently includes a production of The Armed Man in St Oswald’s Church.

Following a parade of period vehicles, horses, carts, carriages and attired residents to the recreation ground, there will be re-enactments of key events and their impact on village life. Some refreshments served may even be available at 1918 prices.

The Remembrance Parade will march from the High Street to a service in St Oswald’s Church on Sunday, November 11. Wreaths will be laid at the war memorial and with military precision, the retiring parade will be decommissioned on the High Street. Exhibitions will remain open until 5pm.

The church choir will sing evening service. A canon gunshot will be fired and a bugler will sound the last post and a beacon will be lit.

As with all village events, the overhead costs are expensive (before we have put any activities/exhibitions on), these include Insurance, Road Closures, Room Hire, Toilets etc and due to very limited funds for our event we are asking for you assistance.

If you can donate, organisers would be most grateful and in return, we can guarantee a brilliant village event to commemorate all that the young soldiers of World War 1 gave.