John Masefield Memorial Consultation
Ledbury Town Council has received a confirmed National Lottery grant of £220,000 to fund the John Masefield Memorial Project. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the project will explore the legacy of John Masefield through a range of events celebrating his work, his life, and the things that mattered to him. The project will finish with a memorial celebrating John Masefield's 150th anniversary in 2028. The form this memorial takes is being chosen by the community through a series of consultation workshops.
What is a Memorial?
It has not yet been determined what form the memorial to John Masefield will take. The memorial will be chosen by the people of Ledbury over the next two years, and need not necessarily be a representation of Masefield himself.
Ideas for the memorial will be generated through a series of consultation workshops and a consultation survey. The ideas will then be checked against the National Lottery Heritage Fund investment principles by a core group chosen to represent the community. They will shortlist three ideas. We plan to involve as many people in the Masefield Matters events over the next two years as possible so they are well informed about the choice. Please keep up to date with the project website and Instagram to find out how to get involved when the consultation begins.
Here are some examples of memorials, both to Masefield and others to inspire ideas about what form a Masefield Memorial in Ledbury might take. But we are keen to hear what you want, so this isn’t an exhaustive list.
Consultation process
To determine the form the memorial would take, the general public were first consulted through a series of engagement activities and consultation sessions.
The Core Consultation Group, comprising representatives from organisations across Ledbury and supported by our independent consultants, Engaging Heritage and Meredith Associates, then reviewed the criteria set out in the commissioning brief alongside the ideas and feedback received from the public.
From this process, ten themes and ideas were shortlisted, with three final recommendations put forward. These were presented to the Masefield Matters Board, which approved the three recommendations. A ballot was then held, with the Walking/Literary Trail in Ledbury selected as the preferred option.
Further information about the consultation process and the original commissioning brief can be found here.
To determine the form the memorial would take, first the general public were consulted through a series of engagement activities and consultation sessions. Next the Core Consultation Group (made up of members of organisations in Ledbury, along with the support of our independent consultants Engaging Heritage and Meredith Associates) reviewed the criteria set out in the commissioning brief and the ideas received and shortlisted to ten themes/ideas, with top three recommendations. These were presented to Masefield Matters Board, who approved those top three and through a ballot vote decided upon the Walking/literary trail in Ledbury. Information detailing the consultation and the original brief can be found here