Thousands raised for charity from Southwick Revival with village turned into 1940s D-Day - tickets on sale soon
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Thousands of pounds has been raised for a veterans charity from an event where a Hampshire village was taken back to the 1940s.
Southwick Revival saw the local area transformed into a scene reminiscent of what it was like before the D-Day Landings in 1944. Viscount Henry Montgomery, the direct descendant of wartime leader Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, visited to accept a donation of £5,000 for the Spirit of Normandy Trust.
Southwick Revival Committee Chairman, Martin Bazeley BEM, accepted the donation. He said: “The Southwick Revival’s fundraising ethos is primarily to support military charities. The Spirit of Normandy Trust is closest to our hearts in terms of commemorating the heroes of D-Day.
“The Revival reminds the public of our heroic Armed Forces, celebrating the enduring spirit of our homeland in WW2 and our eventual victory of the Allied Forces in liberating Europe. The Revival is a wonderful weekend filled with immersive activities and charming nostalgia as the village turns the clock back to 1944.”
The donation came from ticket sales from last year’s event. It will fund the annual pilgrimage that the Normandy Veterans’ Trust organises for the WW2 D-Day veterans to France. Veterans will be paying tribute to their fallen friends and comrades at the Normandy Memorials and the beaches of Normandy.
Only five D-Day veterans are physically able to travel this year and each veteran requires additional support in the form of carers, medical back-up, including logistics food, accommodation and travel. The Spirit of Normandy Trust is a small charity that aims to support the welfare of the dwindling number of Second World War veterans.
Southwick Revival will be returning on the weekend of June 6 and 7. Tickets will go on sale on March 9, where residents can gain access to tours of the D-Day Map Room and Fort Southwick Tunnels. Further details can be found here.