THE first minister of Wales has announced financial support for a new memorial in Belgium to remember the Welsh people who served during the First World War.

On a visit to the site of the new memorial in Langemark in Belgium he announced that the Welsh Government will provide up to £25,000 to underwrite the Welsh Memorial in Flanders, and called on people to contribute to the appeal for it.

Before the event the First Minister said: “The public appeal to build this memorial is a partnership between the people of Wales and Flanders.

"They are people who felt moved by the sacrifice of Welsh service personnel during the First World War and wanted to make sure that they were remembered. "This memorial honours not just the Welsh men who fell in battle in Flanders during the conflict, but all Welsh men and women who served during the War."

The public appeal has raised £30,000 towards the cost of the memorial, enabling construction of the memorial to begin.