Funding of £9k for First World War memorial window

The stained glass window is the only memorial listing the names of the 64 men from the Langley area of Sandwell who lost their lives during the Great War.

It was installed in St Michael and All Angels Church, in Causeway Green Road, Langley Green, for decades but had to be removed when the church, which had been closed since 2006, was sold and redeveloped.

The memorial was removed and stored in a garage in Smethwick, leading to uncertainty over its future while a new home was sought.

But after the Zion United Reformed Church, which is only around 100 yards away from the church in which it stood for so long, said it would be happy to take the memorial, a campaign was launched to raise enough money so it could be restored and safely displayed in its new home.

The Langley Local History Society has now been told a bid for Lottery Heritage Funding has been successful and is to receive £9,300.

The group's chairman Dr Terry Daniels said: "We are delighted to have been awarded this grant which secures the future of the window.

"It was originally bought through a public appeal and therefore belongs to the people of Langley, so it is important it remains here.

"When the church closed nothing happened, we didn't know what was going to happen to the building.

"The diocese managed to sell it to another church but it was a Filipino-based church which doesn't have any images at all. It is an unbreakable rule which required them to take it out."

The window is currently being restored and it is hoped it will be in place by April. The three panels of the window will be separately mounted in metal frames with integral LED back-lighting, which is a professional system used by the Victoria and Albert Museum and others for displaying their stained glass.

Grant money that is left over from the restoration will also be used to help develop the stories of the men who lost their lives for a booklet and exhibition which is hoped to be completed during 2015.

Securing the window completes the task of relocating Langley's war tributes.

The memorial cross which stood outside the church has been moved to Langley High Street.

Dr Daniels added: "It quite dominates the High Street.

"It has been a bit lost at St Michael's, tucked away to the side of the entrance to the church, but now it will be in a prominent position."

The stone statue carries the words 'The glorious dead, 1914-1918, their name liveth forever more'.

Dr Daniels added: "If we want to have a remembrance service in Langley then it's in a good, central position where we can easily have a ceremony." Not every man from Langley who died during the First World War is named on the window, although it is not known why, but the society is planning to carry out research on every one for the book, which is planned to be displayed alongside the memorial when it is installed.

St Michael's was forced to close because its dwindling congregation could no longer afford to pay for its upkeep.

The Victorian building, stood in Langley Green since 1899, was eyed up by housing developers while it was closed before eventually being taken over by the new church.