Veterans' group which maintains Great Yarmouth borough headstones benefits from £11,600 donation

The team at the crematorium in Oriel Avenue, Gorleston, successfully recycled metals that do not include jewellery as part of the cremation process and have used the proceeds for the donation.

The money will go to Past and Present Maintenance - a new Community Interest Company that developed from the OpNova Past and Present Heritage programme, delivered by the Forces Employment Charity.

The organisation was chosen to benefit from the funding by previous Borough of Great Yarmouth Mayor, Councillor Penny Carpenter, during her year of office. It follows donations from the recycling scheme at the crematorium to two of Councillor Carpenter's selected charities, Marie Curie and the Caister Lifeboat.

Past and Present Maintenance was set up by former OpNOVA member Kyle Rogers — and is made up of military veterans who live in Great Yarmouth and who are committed to supporting the local community.

It provides training and employment opportunities for veterans and is focused on preserving local heritage by cleaning and maintaining headstones. 

Its team of dedicated volunteers now cleans headstones across Yarmouth, Gorleston and Caister - work that is commissioned and paid for by Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

Mr Rogers said the new local enterprise has a clear social mission: to honour the past by maintaining memorials and offering veterans a renewed sense of purpose and community service. He said the generous donation will go towards training volunteers and paying for materials and tools.

The group previously employed a memorial mason to oversee its work, but two veterans have now been trained and are now fully accredited memorial masons.

Councillor Carpenter said: "I am so pleased the money raised will be able to help Past and Present Maintenance. It is an excellent organisation that not only helps our veterans but also carries out a very important service on behalf of the whole community.

"This recycling scheme reflects the power of collective effort to make a positive impact and I am thankful to the recycling initiative for supporting this outstanding work by strengthening veteran employment and social reintegration in a targeted, community-driven way.''

The funds will be dedicated to VE Day and will see the 166 headstones of the fallen civilian community - paid for by the borough just after the Second World War - maintained and cleaned.  

Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Crematorium, which has the largest chapel in Norfolk, has been hosting cremations, burials and other services for more than 50 years.

Its Bereavement Services team is dedicated to providing a professional, compassionate and sensitive service working closely with funeral directors, clergy and others to ensure the requests of the deceased and their loved ones are carried out.