RESIDENTS and businesses in the Stanford-le-Hope area have been thanked for their response to an appeal to help ensure the annual remembrance commemorations take place in the town.

The war memorial on the Green in Stanford is maintained by the Stanford War Memorial Trust who have stepped into the breach to help administer this year's remembrance ceremonies after the Royal British Legion found it could not make its usual commitment and ill health restricted what previous volunteers have been able to do.

The Trust made an appeal for donations to help run the event and reflected on the efforts it had made to maintain the memorial over the past decade.

One of its members, Peter Watson, appealed for help via social media, saying: "A request has been made for small donations to the Stanford War Memorial Trust to defray some of the costs involved in funding the remembrance event this year which has generated some critical posts.

"A formal event would not be taking place this year if the Trust had not stepped in.

"Prior to this year the Stanford War Memorial Trust has been concerned solely with the upkeep of the Memorial itself.

If you can cast your collective minds back to 2012. The War Memorial was in a disgusting state. Neglected for years, covered in grime, the eighty three names of the fallen barely legible, the garden full of weeds.

"It was then that a small group of people of whom Terry Piccolo was a leading member, decided something needed to be done. Funds were raised with local companies and individuals coming together most generously to raise enough, well over £1,000, to have the Memorial gently steam cleaned by specialist restorers.

"And what a difference it made! The Portland stone was restored in its creamy coloured glory. The names of the fallen were painstakingly repainted by a specialist, again totally funded by a local company.

"The flagpole was later added and the garden restored. In 2014 spotlighting was added funded and installed privately. Since that time the memorial has needed steam cleaning again as its position exposes it to the grime from the constant traffic passing it by.

"It will need cleaning again in the next few years at a cost of well over £1,000. A very small group of volunteers constantly maintain the memorial garden and use their personal funds to buy the plants and compost. We do this to spare the War Memorial Trust account so that future cleaning and restoration can be funded.

"Uniquely in Thurrock the Stanford War Memorial belongs solely to the people of Stanford so it is our responsibility as a community to maintain it in good condition in honour and respect to those who gave their lives for our freedom."

The appeal met with a really positive response and Mr Watson has reported that funds have been raised to cover this year's event – and a surplus has been generated that will also be put to good use.

He says: "Thank you all very much for your most kind donations. It is so much appreciated by all of us of the Stanford War Memorial Trust.

"We have sufficient funds now to cover the costs involved in the Remembrance event on 14th November and the extra we now have will go into the fund for the future upkeep of the memorial.

"It is wonderful to see the community coming together in the same spirit as that of a century ago to fund the establishment and maintenance of the Stanford War Memorial. Thank you all again."