EACH district councillor in the Cotswolds has been provided with a one-off allocation of £500 to fund activities marking the centenary of the First World War.

Cotswold District Council’s Cabinet has agreed to the cash which will be given to each councillor from mid-February to help fund activities or events in their wards which will commemorate the conflict.

Council leader Councillor Lynden Stowe said: “As the momentum builds towards this significant anniversary, we thought it would be appropriate to provide each Councillor with a one-off sum of money to help honour local people who lost their lives or distinguished themselves in battle.

"We are not applying restrictive criteria to applications for funding but we are already aware that there will be interest from various communities that are planning events or activities such as local exhibitions, renovation of war memorials, and the provision of commemorative plaques and publications.

"It’s also possible that the funding might be used to stimulate interest and attract financial backing from other sources.

“The overall aim is to bring communities together to commemorate a significant time in world history, while reflecting on and recognising the sacrifices made by local people.”

Anyone who wishes to apply for First World War commemorative funding should contact their district councillor.