Fundraising appeal for Fenton war memorial's centenary

A community group is seeking to raise £5,000 to clean a listed Stoke-on-Trent war memorial in its centenary year.

Fenton's 11m (27 ft) monument was unveiled in 1922 to mark World War One.

It was later updated to also commemorate the local men who fought in World War Two, and was granted listed status in 1993.

Campaigners say the Grade II listed memorial in Albert Square is in a "poor state of repair" and in urgent need of specialist cleaning.

The stone obelisk features carved wreaths and the figure of a soldier.

Funded by donations in 1922, it is linked to a tablet in the nearby town hall which bears the names of the 498 men from Fenton who died in the conflict.

Local councillor Cheryl Gerrard is leading the campaign for the memorial to be restored.

"It's 100 years this year that the memorial was unveiled," she said. "The cost to have the memorial professionally cleaned is in the region of £10,000 and we're looking to raise £5,000."

The remaining sum is set to be funded by the council's conservation budget.

The group said it had been unable to find more than a single record of the memorial being cleaned over the past 100 years.

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