World War I centenary events 'to cost £50m'

11 October 2012

More than £50m is to be spent on events and exhibits to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I in two years' time, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced.

The majority of the spending, £35m, will be used to refurbish the WWI galleries at the Imperial War Museum (IWM) in London, with the completed galleries set to open in 2014. Some £5m has been provided towards the refurbishment by the Treasury, paid for out of fines levied against financial services companies.

Commemorative events will also be held, including major national events on the centenaries of: the outbreak of war in 2014, the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 2016 and Armistice Day in 2018.

There are also plans to spend £5.3m on an "educational legacy" enabling schoolchildren to visit WWI battlefields and research local people who were involved in the war.

At least £15m will come from the Heritage Lottery Fund, including £6m to fund community projects to "conserve, explore and share" local WWI heritage.

And £1m will be spent preserving the last surviving WWI battleship HMS Caroline, and opening it to the public in Belfast.

The government's principal partners in organising the commemorations will be the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the IWM.

The events will be presided over by an 'independent' advisory panel chaired by the Culture Secretary.

"In total, over £50m is being committed to these centenary commemorations, and it is absolutely right that these commemorations should be given such priority," said Prime Minister David Cameron.

"Our duty with these commemorations is clear: to honour those who served; to remember those who died; and to ensure that the lessons learned live with us for ever. And that is exactly what we will do."