How to Report a Concern About a War Memorial on War Memorials Online

War Memorials Online provides a dedicated Report a concern route for flagging war memorials that are in poor condition, damaged, or vandalised. You can use it whether or not you are registered, though registering lets you contribute and track information as a contributor. The site is run by War Memorials Trust and, according to its own figures, contributors have added over 80,000 war memorials and over 80,000 condition reports.

What counts as a concern

The site's own wording describes the purpose of this route as telling them about war memorials that are:

• in poor condition
• damaged
• vandalised

If your concern is simply that a memorial is missing from the database, that is a submission rather than a condition concern — use the find or submit route instead.

Step-by-step: reporting a concern

1. Go to the site and find the memorial. Use the search on the homepage. You can search by keyword or by location, and the location search lets you set a radius (from exact match out to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, or 100 miles).
2. Open the memorial's record. Confirm you have the right one — check the name and location so the report is attached to the correct memorial.
3. Use the "Report a concern" option. The homepage lists "Report a concern" as one of the main actions, described as: "Tell us about war memorials that are in poor condition damaged or vandalised."
4. Describe the condition. Explain what you observed — for example, broken stonework, missing lettering, graffiti, or structural movement. Be specific about what is wrong and where on the memorial it is.
5. Add photographs if you have them. Images are central to how the site works: it describes itself as an opportunity for the public to "upload images of war memorials and log concerns for the conservation of these important community and historical sources." A clear photo of the damage is the most useful single thing you can attach.
6. Submit. Your report joins the condition reports already logged for UK war memorials.

If you want your contribution recorded under your name and to keep contributing, register first. The site states: "Register to contribute information or explore the site to find out more about war memorials."

What to include so the report is actionable

After you report

Your report becomes part of the condition record for that memorial. The site's stated aim is to "build a complete picture of the whereabouts, type and condition of all war memorials in the UK," and condition reports are how that picture is kept current. Reporting a concern does not by itself commission a repair — it logs the problem so it can be considered for conservation. The site also accepts donations "to help protect our war memorial heritage and support this project," which is separate from reporting.

Common snags

• Can't find the memorial. Try a wider location radius or a keyword search; if it genuinely isn't listed, submit it first, then report the condition.
• Not sure whether it's damage or just age. Describe what you see and let the record reflect it — the categories are poor condition, damaged, and vandalised, and a clear description plus a photo is more useful than guessing.
• Reporting without an account. You can explore and search without registering, but registering is what lets you contribute information.

Contact

War Memorials Online c/o War Memorials Trust, 70 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EJ. Telephone: 020 7233 7356. Email and policy links are available in the site footer.