Campaign to say 'thank you' to Great War generation
The Royal British Legion in the West Midlands has launched a movement to say "thank you" to the First World War generation, to mark the final year of the Great War centenary.
It comes at the culmination of five years of events to commemorate the conflict, which lasted from 1914 to 1918.
The campaign aims to encourage groups and individuals to find their own special way to express their thanks to a generation who made a great sacrifice of life and whose legacy of social change helped shape modern Britain.
Watch the Royal British Legion's 'Thank You' film:
A range of diverse partners and organisations have already committed support to the Thank You movement including Cadbury’s, Coventry Building Society and the United Kingdom Punjab Heritage Association.
A national youth competition is also under way where young people aged between nine and 16 are being asked to create an expression of art, poetry or song that says thank you in partnership with Never Such Innocence, a project working with children and young people around the world to engage them creatively in the centenary of the First World War.
Jane Britton, RBL area manager in the West Midlands, said: “The First World War left so many legacies that positively impact our lives today, from groundbreaking social change to pioneering innovations.
"The end of the centenary is a chance for us all to thank not only the British armed forces who fought and gave their lives, but the thousands who fought alongside them from countries from across today’s Commonwealth, and the countless men, women and children who played their part on the home front.
“We all have a connection to the First World War and we all have a reason to say thank you to this special generation.
"Whether somebody's personal Thank You is an event dedicated to those who made a difference in their community, a personal visit to a place of significance, or a social media post, there’s no limit to the ways people can take part.
"We are making a plea to every single person across the UK to get involved and take a moment in this very significant year to say Thank You.”
The legion is asking the nation to plan their ‘Thank You’ activity to take place from August 8 onwards, to coincide with the anniversary of the 100 days offensive which brought the Allies final victory in 1918.
