During 2014 volunteers from the veterans’ charity Change Step are on a mission to tidy-up 700 of the 2000 war graves in North Wales. Change Step is delivered by veterans for veterans and aims to support those seeking help for problems encountered as a result of military or operational duty. The programme offers peer support, training opportunities and signposting to relevant health and welfare services.

With the help of a community grant from the Armed Forces Covenant Change Step have been busy organising data from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to co-ordinate 60 volunteering days for ex-veterans, their friends and their family to engage with.

It was an honour to tidy-up the war grave of Jonathan Baldwin. Jonathan was in the Royal Welch Fusiliers and was the first casualty of Buckley in the Second World War. I was originally going to join the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers as I come from a long line of career soldiers. But after the Falklands and the sinking of the Sir Galahad with the loss of Welsh soldiers, I felt it was my duty to join the Welsh infantry and help rebuild our numbers and to serve my country.

Jeff

Volunteer

Raising awareness of the human cost to Wales of the First and Second World Wars is something we are very proud to be a part of, and who better to lead on this project than veterans themselves. Many local cemeteries are a rich source of history and interest and our aim is to make these sites more accessible and safe for the general public whilst restoring and promoting interest and pride in our veterans’ graves

Geraint

CAIS Director

Cemeteries

  • Cemeteries 63%
  • Graves 78%

Graves