Frequently Asked Questions
What is Masefield Matters?
The Masefield Matters project was launched to explore the legacy of Ledbury-born poet John Masefield through a programme of events and activities celebrating his work, his life, and the things that mattered to him.
Over the course of the project, a range of events and creative activities have been organised and delivered for the Ledbury community. These have celebrated Masefield’s poems and novels, encouraged creativity and artistic expression, and helped bring his life and work back into the public consciousness in the town.
The project has two main goals: to reconnect the people of Ledbury with John Masefield and his legacy, and to create a lasting memorial to him in the town so that he will always be remembered here. The programme of events has provided opportunities for the community to discover more about Masefield, engage with his work, and consider the things that mattered to him.
The project will culminate in 2028, marking the 150th anniversary of John Masefield’s birth, with the creation of a new walking trail in Ledbury. The trail will celebrate Masefield’s life, work and connections to the town, creating a lasting memorial that can be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.
To find out more about the Masefield Matters project, visit our main page or our Instagram page @masefield_matters.
See the project timeline below for a broad overview of the activities that have taken place and the next stages of the project.
Why is John Masefield still relevant?
Although born almost 150 years ago, John Masefield, his poems and his beliefs are still relevant to the modern day. He overcame a series of setbacks to achieve his dream of becoming a writer, whilst still remaining true to his beliefs in a rapidly changing world. He is proof that despite the difficulties we face, we can still achieve great things.
As the heart of Ledbury life, the Town Council is running the Masefield Matters project to bring Masefield to as much of the community of Ledbury as possible. The Town Council will be able to connect Masefield Matters to a wide range of events and organisations within Ledbury.
How is the National Heritage Lottery Fund money being used?
Ledbury Town Council applied for and received a grant of £222,000 from the National Heritage Lottery Fund in 2024. Half of this money they have received up front. The rest will only be received after 90% of the grant value has been spent. The Heritage Fund monitors how the money is being spent.
The greater part of the project was the familiarisation phase, during which a programme of activities was delivered to raise awareness of John Masefield and his work. These activities provided opportunities for the local community to engage with Masefield’s poetry, novels, life and legacy through a range of events and creative experiences. A significant proportion of the costs associated with delivering these activities covered staff time to co-ordinate the programme and facilitators to lead individual events. Staff salaries were matched to those of existing roles within the Town Council, while many of the facilitators were drawn from the local community.
The memorial to Masefield is the final output of the project. £60,000 of the National Heritage Lottery Fund grant was earmarked for the memorial, with a further £5,000 raised through fundraising events. This has provided a total of £65,000 towards the creation of the new walking and literary trail, which will commemorate Masefield’s life, work and connections to Ledbury.
Why do we need further donations in addition to the NLHF grant? How much do we need?
The National Lottery Heritage Fund requires organisations to provide a proportion of the total project costs through alternative sources of funding. For Masefield Matters, our match funding requirement was £25,000, representing 10% of the total project cost. We have now successfully raised the full £25,000 required match funding.
Any additional donations raised will therefore be used to support further community engagement activities and to contribute towards the final memorial to John Masefield — the new walking and literary trail. Additional funding will help us to deliver more opportunities for the community to engage with Masefield’s life and work, while also increasing the resources available for the development of the memorial.
What form will the memorial take?
The memorial will be a literary/walking trail. We are currently working with three shortlisted designers who are developing their ideas for the memorial.
The memorial was chosen through a series of consultation workshops and from feedback given at engagement and community events. Please keep up to date with the project website and Instagram to find out how to get involved when the consultation begins. More information can be found here: Masefield-Matters-Consultation-Report-and-Brief.pdf
How will we know that the project is achieving its goals?
Over the course of this project, we hope to see a noticeable change in the familiarity of the people of Ledbury with John Masefield. We aim to highlight the community and countryside that inspired Masefield so heavily.
You will be able to see all our work on our regular blog posts, social media and website updates, as well as being able to speak to us in person at events in and around Ledbury.
Processes for monitoring progress exist via both the Town Council and the National Heritage Lottery Fund, and the project will include an evaluation as it is ongoing.
Is Masefield Matters linked to the John Masefield Society?
Masefield Matters is run by Ledbury Town Council, who are working with a range of groups in Ledbury to raise the profile of John Masefield and his work. These groups include John Masefield High School, Ledbury Primary School, Ledbury Poetry and Ledbury Civic Society, as well as the John Masefield Society.
The John Masefield Society is assisting Masefield Matters by advising on the events we hold and sharing their knowledge on John Masefield and his work. They are represented on the Masefield Matters Board.
Who is on the board of Masefield Matters? What is the role of board members?
Our board comprises people representing a range of communities in Ledbury and beyond. Among the board members, there are representatives of:
- Ledbury Poetry
- the John Masefield Society
- John Masefield High School
- Friends of the Parish Church
- Ledbury Civic Society
- Ledbury Town Council
- Herefordshire Council
The Board ensures that the community focussed projects are of the highest possible quality, providing memorable experiences for participants. It also aims to ensure that the voices and views of participants in the familiarisation phase are heard and carried through to the commissioning phase of the project. The Project Board will therefore oversee the completion of the memorial.
Who are the project staff?
The project is being run by Project Co-ordinator Emma Clowsley with the support of the Masefield Matters Board and Ledbury Town Council. She co-ordinates the project events and work with local community groups.
Emma is a Ledbury resident, poet and experienced community engagement Project Manager in management. Her role is to co-ordinate the project and carry out the key objectives and activities during the familiarisation phase.
Project Co-ordinator
Emma Clowsley: mmpc@ledburytowncouncil.gov.uk
How can I get involved?
If you’d like to get involved, check our website and social
media pages (see below) for our upcoming events. We’ll keep you posted when the
consultation workshops begin, to give you the chance to be part of choosing the
memorial.
We would love to hear from you if you have ideas for activities you would like to see from Masefield Matters. Please let us know via email, phone or Instagram message:
Email: mmpc@ledburytowncouncil.gov.uk
Instagram: @masefield_matters
Facebook: Masefield Matters
If you’d like to write a blog post for Masefield Matters, please email mmpc@ledburytowncouncil.gov.uk