A FOREST war memorial has been added to the register of listed buildings thanks to the efforts of local children.

Pupils from St White’s Primary School in Cinderford carried out a survey of the town’s war memorial and then wrote a total of 90 letters to heritage chiefs.

They were presented with a special certificate last week honouring the hard work by pupils – but that wasn’t the only award the school received at an assembly on Friday (March 1).

Members of the Cinderford British Legion also presented the school with a trophy for raising the most money for the Poppy Appeal.

The accolades came as the school was celebrating the third anniversary of its new building in Sneyd Wood Road.

Acting deputy head Roz Hewitt told the children they should be “very proud” that their work had led to the memorial in the Triangle becoming a Grade II listed monument.

Michael Gorely of Heritage England said: “The school council and Miss Hewitt went down before Christmas and did a condition survey and different classes found out about some of the men. 

“Years Three and Four wrote letters and my colleague read all the letters – including the one which said if it was not listed they would get him the sack. 

“Those letters made a difference, without the letters the war memorial would not be listed.

“You did a brilliant job,” he added, before also presenting St White’s with a plaque recognising it as a ‘heritage school’.

St White’s will also feature in a ‘case study’ video that will be available on the English Heritage webesite

The school’s efforts for the Poppy Appeal also won it the cup presented by Cinderford British Legion for the third year in a row.

The school raised £583.89 for the appeal, bringing the total raised since the new building opened to £1,782.54.

Chairman of the Cinderford British Legion, Geoff Jones, said: “That is a colossal amount for a small school.”

He presented the cup and a certificate of appreciation to the school.

As part of the celebrations, the school Parent Teacher and Friends Association arranged for a cake in the shape of the war memorial.

It was made by local cake maker Maxine Beavis.

The war memorial was designed by William Leah of Gloucester and has a figure of a soldier with his head bowed by J Swift of Doncaster.

It was unveiled in 1923 by Field Marshal Sir John French who said the names inscribed on the memorial showed ‘how thoroughly’ the Forest of Dean answered the call to arms during the Great War.

The names of men who died in the Second War World and subsequent conflicts were later added.