Centenary marked at Wigan parish church

Wiganers walking through the parish church grounds this week will see a powerful tribute to the fallen of World War One.
Wigan Parish ChurchWigan Parish Church
Wigan Parish Church

Wigan Council has installed six There But Not There silhouettes representing soldiers from the conflict around the historic place of worship in a project with the Royal British Legion.

The sculptures, together with an arch and hundreds of poppies, form a thought-provoking memorial for the centenary of the end of the war.

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John Harker, strategic manager for armed forces at Wigan Council, said: “We have been working extremely hard to commemorate the World War One centenary borough-wide.

“The silhouettes have been installed near Wigan Parish Church ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

“Community groups and councillors have also been heavily involved in our work to install willow statues and benches, create memorial gardens and much more.”

Coun Clive Morgan, lead member for armed forces, said: “We’re committed to supporting the armed forces community in Wigan borough and acknowledging the extreme bravery and sacrifice that veterans made for our country and its citizens.

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“There are more than 22,000 veterans residing in our borough so this is an area we are extremely passionate about.

“Since 2014, we have been working closely with the community who have had the opportunity to bid for our World War One Commemoration Fund, which has funded activities and events to pay tribute to our history and to teach younger generations.

“We are proud of how the borough has acknowledged this pivotal time in our history.”