Former councillor hopes to take his park bench project across Shropshire

A councillor who resigned to spend more time volunteering in the community hopes to take his park bench renovation project across Shropshire.

Former councillor Graeme Perks, who helps to refurbish park benches at his home in Ludlow

Warehouse night worker Graeme Perks stepped down from Ludlow Town Council at the end of January after 20 years to devote more time to renovating benches as a part of his volunteering with the town's War Memorial Fund.

The War Memorial Fund has evolved to also include work on restoring battered benches, and the ideal kind of volunteering for Mr Perks, an expert woodworker. Names of well-loved Ludlow characters are remembered on those benches, which give relatives and friends a place to sit, reflect and remember.

"I am looking to make contact with people in other areas of the county," said Graeme, 61, from his busy home workshop in Honey Meadow.

"We carried out a survey of the park benches in Ludlow in 2018 and between then and 2021 we have repaired most of them and at minimal cost to the town council.

"I am sure we could do the same for Shropshire Council. Once they are at a point of good order the maintenance of them is next to nothing."

Tributes are a common theme of the benches

With council budgets under pressure Mr Perks thinks volunteers would be able to help out.

"We could really make a difference in the next three or four years," said Mr Perks, who is able to find the time after work and before work.

And in Ludlow Mr Perks believes he can make more of a difference in the community by volunteering than being on a council deciding what to do about policy documents.

As well as working on fixing wooden benches at Ludford Park, Mr Perks is keen to bring 10 concrete slab-end seats back into use near the town walls, once it is rebuilt. Seats at Ludlow Hospital are also being renovated, with one of them being dedicated to NHS workers.

Another is being dedicated to the family of the late Cyril Martin, who was a well-known fundraiser.

Mrs Gillian Martin, Cyril's daughter in law said: "The family of the late Cyril Martin are very honoured by this tribute paid to him and would like to thank the Friends of Ludlow Hospital and the Ludlow War Memorial Fund. We know that Cyril would have been very proud of this bench rebuilt in his memory."