Thank you to everyone who joined us for War Graves Week

Off the back of our first ever War Graves Week, we want to thank the thousands of people who got involved - from the staff and volunteers who shared their work and hosted tours, to the visitors and families who joined us.

War Graves Week was all about connecting people to the World War heritage on their doorstep that comes under our care, and the men and women whose names it keeps alive. In our first ever awareness week we focused activities in the UK, and we look forward to rolling this out internationally in years to come.

During the week we guided more than 1,200 people through 35 CWGC cemeteries and memorials across the country, telling them the stories of the Commonwealth men and women commemorated in their local area.

Tens of thousands more got involved in the UK and beyond by finding their local connection using our postcode search, by tuning into one of our live broadcasts, or by downloading the specially created resources that we hope have helped bring to life the stories of the World War generations.

Claire Horton CBE, Director General of CWGC, said: “We’ve been delighted to welcome so many people to come see the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in action during War Graves Week.

“After such a long time of not being able to gather in groups, it has been all the more special to see a gentle, safe return to visitors coming through our cemeteries and memorials throughout the UK.

“These special sites of remembrance simply wouldn’t exist without our dedicated CWGC staff, our wonderful growing network of volunteers and of course the all-important visitors and families.

“We’re hugely grateful to everyone who took part. By attending a tour, sharing a story, searching for a local connection in our war records or donating to the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation, it all helps us to keep alive the stories of the men and women we commemorate.

“We hope that everyone who joined in has been inspired to come back again in the near future.”