The war memorial standing in the churchyard of St James church, Shirley is in need of renovation to restore it to its near original condition.

The memorial has been the centre piece of the annual Remembrance Day service since its dedication in 1923 after being funded by public subscription following WW1 and it therefore belongs to the people of Shirley. It is an important focal point to remember those who gave their lives in two World Wars, and especially the citizens of Shirley

The work involves specialist cleaning techniques to remove years of dirt and a surface coating all of which need to be removed to reveal the original stonework. Also some of the names of those who died are becoming illegible so will be re-carved.

The project is being led by a committee comprising representatives of St James church, Shirley Royal British Legion and Shirley Lions. The method of cleaning has been approved by the War Memorials Trust who have agreed to make a grant of £4,020 towards the overall cost of about £6,500. However, it is planned to generate a surplus to establish a fund for the future maintenance and cleaning of the memorial. A target of £5,000 is therefore being aimed at.