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Veterans help to create war memorial on roundabout

Richard SteadNorth West
BBC Photograph of the war memorial on a roundabout near Leigh Sports Village. The image has white crosses, red poppies and the black silhouette of soldier.BBC
The memorial includes the black silhouette of a World War One soldier who served in the trenches

A war memorial has been created on a roundabout by an armed forces social enterprise which provides assistance dogs for veterans.

The display, near Leigh Sports Village in Greater Manchester, includes 1,900 poppies - one for each of the servicemen from the Wigan area who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War One.

It also features 1,228 white crosses to represent members of the armed forces from the same area who were killed in World War Two and subsequent conflicts.

George Brooks, who launched The Reeva Programme Community Interest Company (CIC) after serving with the Army in Afghanistan, said: "We train up therapy dogs and hold events to prevent veterans from being isolated."

Photograph of George Brooks from the Reeva Programme. He is pictured in front of a war memorial on a roundabout in Leigh. He has brown hair and is wearing a blue coat.
George Brooks launched The Reeva Programme after serving in Afghanistan.

The 35-year-old added: "When the veterans were building the memorial, the support we had from the local community was through the roof and it hits everybody who drives past, which is why we wanted to do it on a roundabout."

The Reeva Programme CIC provides fully trained assistance dogs to those who have served in the armed forces or emergency services.

The organisation is named after a therapy dog called Reeva, which was owned by Brooks and helped him cope with PTSD after he left the Army.

The veteran, from Hindley Green in Wigan, said: "I was in hospital as a result of the injuries I'd sustained, so my parents bought me Reeva to help me cope.

"Reeva was supposed to be a working dog - but she didn't want to play ball - although it turned out she was really in tune with my emotions."

Photograph of a six- year-old German Shepherd called Aria. The dog is pictured on the ground, wearing a coat with red poppies.
Aria - a six-year-old German Shepherd - is now a fully trained therapy dog

Volunteers from the social enterprise helped to create the memorial, including the wooden black silhouettes of soldiers which represent members of the armed forces who have died in conflicts since 1914.

Malcolm Critchley, who owns a therapy dog called Aria, said: "She's a good-natured German Shepherd rescue dog. She's now fully trained and we take her to see veterans and those who've served in the emergency services, anyone with trauma."

Critchley, who spent weeks helping to create the memorial on Atherleigh Way, said: "Everything on the memorial is recycled, so we made the crosses from wooden pallets, then painted them - and the poppies were made using drinks bottles."

Photograph of the war memorial on a roundabout near the Leigh Sports Village. The image has white crosses, red poppies and the black silhouettes of soldiers.
The war memorial has been created on a roundabout near Leigh Sports Village

Wilf Pugh, who completed two decades in the armed forces from the age of 17, said: "I served across the world... it affected me because you lose friends, so I've had residential treatment for my PTSD, where I was introduced to therapy dogs.

"I still go walking with the dogs, which I find fantastic because they're great company."

Photograph of armed forces veteran Wilf Pugh. He is pictured in front of the war memorial on a roundabout near Leigh Sports Village.
Wilf Pugh served for two decades in the armed forces in Oman, Hong Kong, Cyprus and Belize (then known as British Honduras)
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