MILITARY memorabilia is needed to bring to life an exhibition about the history of the borough’s armed forces.
The South Tyneside Armed Forces Forum is planning the touring exhibition to celebrate the achievements of the borough’s armed forces community.
The forum has secured £34,000 from the Armed Forces Community Covenant to stage the exhibition, which will feature items, stories and videos.
To support the project, members of the South Shields branch of the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Association will be delivering workshops to thousands of school pupils.
Branch president, Colonel John Davis, said: “We already do a lot of work to raise the profile of the armed forces in schools and we’re looking forward to supporting the exhibition project this summer.
“The project has the potential to help us strengthen intergenerational links between young and old, and to reconnect former and current service personnel with the wider South Tyneside community.
“We will also be looking to identify serving and former armed forces personnel in need of support so that we can help them access the range of services on offer – for us, this is the most important aspect.”
Col Davis added: “More than anything, we hope to see a lasting legacy from the project, so that we can continue to highlight the work of our armed forces as well as the needs of serving and former personnel and their families in the community well into the future.”
South Tyneside Council’s Armed Forces Champion, Coun Ed Malcolm, said: “South Tyneside has a rich and proud history of armed service, and this exhibition is about celebrating the achievements of our armed forces community over the years.
“Though the mention of our armed forces will prompt many people to think of conflicts of the past, it is important that we continue to acknowledge the huge contribution being made by our armed forces community in the present.
“Right now there are hundreds of men and women from our borough serving their country at home and abroad, and there is no doubt that they will be ever present in the minds of their children, wives, husbands and parents back home.
“This project will enable us to highlight the sacrifices they have made past and present and by drawing on real experiences, we can give an insight into the lives of serving and former armed forces personnel and their families.”
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