Weston Park is a Centenary Field

"Each moment of play or leisure that takes place on a Memorial Field is, in a way, an act of remembrance. I am delighted that Fields in Trust have identified these Centenary Fields as a vital part of our national heritage and well-being, which we cannot take for granted. I encourage local authorities to support this cause and to safeguard these living spaces of remembrance for generations to come.”

Councillor Mary Lea, cabinet member for culture, parks and leisure at SCC, said: “Weston Park is one of our city’s best-loved parks and we are thrilled that it has been awarded Centenary Field status. We look forward to seeing it commemorated online tomorrow.”

Weston Park, designated as a Fields in Trust Centenary Fieldwill be featured in the Centenary Fields Legacy Programme, to remember those who served and lost their lives during conflict. The commemoration event is a “Thank You” to those who fought and fell in the First World War, including hundreds of Sheffield PALS.Fields in Trust will reveal the story of one Centenary Field each day in an online interactive map – and Weston Park will feature tomorrow.The Centenary Fields legacy programme will run until the anniversary of Armistice Day on 11 November. This campaign is in delivered in partnership with the Royal British Legion’s “Thank You” project highlighting the nation’s gratitude to the generation who served in WWI.This UK-wide programme will showcase a series of community events and activities.Fields in Trust will reveal the story of one Centenary Field each day in an online interactive map – and Weston Park will feature tomorrow. The site can be accessed here and people can use the hashtags #CFLegacy #ThankYou100 to support online.Speaking at the launch of the Centenary Fields programme in 2014 Fields in Trust President,, said: “The Centenary Fields programme aims to save in perpetuity scores of memorial spaces around the country.Centenary Fields protected as part of the programme include war memorials, parks and recreation grounds, memorial gardens, playing fields or other green spaces with a significant World War I link.Fields in Trust Chief Executiveadded: “I congratulate Weston Park for being selected as part of our last 100 days showcase project. This beautiful park is now included forever in our national programme to commemorate the centenary of World War I. This dedicated space not only in memory of the sacrifices of those who gave their lives during the conflict, but also to ensure that future generations have valuable green space to enjoy as a living legacy.”Forming part of a scheme being led by the Fields in Trust and the Royal British Legion, the Centenary Fields programme aims to designate and protect at least one green space in every local authority area across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.First opened in 1875, Weston Park was one of the first municipal parks in Sheffield. It has recently benefited from an extensive restoration project and has been granted national Green Flag Award status.Members of Sheffield City Council’s cabinet nominated Weston Park as the city’s Centenary Field site, not only due to its landscape and its status as a visitor destination, but also due to the siting of the York and Lancaster Regiment memorial within the park, which commemorates the loss of more than 8,800 soldiers during World War One.