Peter Carter Jones and the Welsh Memorial in Flanders Campaign Committee

Peter Carter Jones from Neath and the Welsh Memorial in Flanders Campaign Committee have been shortlisted for their tireless work to ensure a fitting memorial for soldiers of Welsh descent who lost their lives in the First World War.

Following a visit to the Flanders Fields, Mr Carter Jones noticed that there was no national monument for Welsh soldiers killed during the First World War in the area. This inspired Peter to set up a campaign to rectify this and raise money for a new memorial to be built in Flanders to remember those who lost their lives. He also established links with the town of Langemark in Flanders, who were keen to support the project. He established a committee to help him in his quest to raise enough funds for the memorial. The 3-year campaign raised more than £100,000, including a donation of £1,000 from the Neath Writers Group who published a book ‘Reflections on War’ dedicated to the poet and fallen Welsh soldier Hedd Wyn. The Welsh Government agreed to make up any funding shortfall. The striking memorial, a bronze dragon designed by Carmarthenshire sculptor Lee Odishaw, set on top of a cromlech and the Welsh Memorial Garden were unveiled at a moving ceremony in August 2014, in the presence of more than 1,000 people including Belgian and Welsh dignitaries.