A free training session to help people interested in researching the lives of men and women on local war memorials will take place in the New Year, Powys County Council has announced.

The free training is being made available thanks to the Powys War Memorial Project and the council’s Archives Service. It will take place at Brecon Library on Thursday 9 February, 2017 between 1-4pm.

Aimed at people who are new researching family and local history, the session will guide participants through resources available online such as Ancestry.co.uk and FindMyPast.co.uk as well as original resources held by the council’s Archives Service itself.

Cllr Avril York, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Planning, said: “The Powys War Memorials Project marks our respect for those individuals who left Powys, sacrificing their lives.

“I’m delighted that this free training session is taking place. I’m sure it will be appreciated by those who wish to research the lives of men and women on our local war memorials.”

The Powys War Memorials Project, which is being led by Powys County Council and commemorates the centenary of World War One, has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Cadw and the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority.

There are many elements to the project including identifying, recording and mapping all the war memorials in Powys and encouraging and enabling local communities to carry out research about the men and women named on war memorials.

The project has also been supporting local communities to apply for project funding for a rolling programme of repairs and restoration to war memorials and their immediate surroundings.

To book your place on the training course, email [email protected] or telephone 01597 827597. Numbers are limited so it is advisable to book early.