How Can I Support War Memorials Online?

You can support War Memorials Online in four practical ways: donate to the project, register as a contributor and add memorial records or condition reports, report a memorial that is damaged or at risk, and help spread the word so more people record and check memorials in their area. All four are open to the public — the site states that "anyone and everyone can help protect war memorials for future generations."

Donate to the project

The site has a dedicated Donate section, described as a way to "help protect our war memorial heritage and support this project." This is the most direct form of financial support if you want the work to continue without contributing data yourself.

The site does not publish donation amounts, payment methods, or whether any tier of giving exists, so check the Donate page for current options before deciding.

Register and contribute records

This is the core of the project. War Memorials Online exists to "build a complete picture of the whereabouts, type and condition of all war memorials in the UK," and that picture is built from public submissions.

To contribute:

1. Register an account on the site (the homepage invites visitors to "Register to contribute information").
2. Find an existing record using the search tools, so you add to a memorial rather than duplicate it.
3. Submit or update a memorial — its location, type, and details.
4. Add a condition report describing the state of the memorial.

The scale of what contributors have already done gives a sense of what one person's input adds up to: over 80,000 war memorials and over 80,000 condition reports have been logged to date. Your content is described by the site as "vital."

Searching before you submit

The search box offers two modes:

Location Search also lets you set a radius — Exact, or within 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, or 100 miles. This is useful for checking whether a memorial near you is already on the site before you create a new record.

Report a concern

If a memorial is in poor condition, damaged, or vandalised, the site provides a Report a concern route: "Tell us about war memorials that are in poor condition damaged or vandalised." Use this rather than a general condition report when the issue is urgent or serious, since it flags the memorial for conservation attention.

Help spread the word

Because the project depends on public submissions, encouraging others to register and record memorials in their own areas directly expands coverage. Practical ways to do this:

• Tell local history groups, parish councils, schools, or community organisations about the site.
• When you photograph a memorial, add it to the site and mention the project to anyone else present.
• Point people to the Get Involved and FAQS sections if they want to understand how contributions work.

Who runs it and where to ask questions

War Memorials Online is operated by the War Memorials Trust (registered charity number 1201442), based at 70 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EJ, telephone 020 7233 7356. The site lists About us and Contact pages, plus Terms & Conditions, an Acceptable Use Policy, and Privacy and Cookie policies — worth reading before you upload images or personal details.

Choosing how to help

• No time, want to fund the work → Donate.
• Have local knowledge or photos → Register and submit memorial records and condition reports.
• Know of a memorial that is damaged or at risk → Report a concern.
• Want to multiply the effect → Encourage others to register and record.