Written by the team behind Puzzlify. Puzzlify is our product, so weigh what follows with that in mind. We've tried to make this useful even if you never use it. We're not affiliated with any war memorial, war graves commission, war memorials charity, veterans' or ex-service organisation, church, parish, diocese, town or parish council, local authority, conservator, stonemason, heritage body, heritage funder, sponsor, school or community organisation. Nothing here is legal, planning, listed building, church faculty, building conservation, stone, bronze or metalwork conservation, work at height, chemicals, health and safety, first aid, safeguarding, photography permission, employment or data protection advice; check your own group's and the memorial owner's guidance, and specialist conservation advice, before anyone touches a memorial.
It's ten o'clock on a still, grey Saturday at the end of October, and a retired postman called Martin is kneeling on a folded garden kneeler at the foot of the war memorial in his village. The memorial is a tall Portland stone cross on a stepped base, set on a little triangle of grass where three roads meet. It went up in 1921, paid for by the village, and on three sides of the base are the names of forty-three men who went to the First World War and didn't come home, and below them, added later, the names of eleven more from the Second.
Martin isn't cleaning the stone. That was done in the spring, properly, after the parish council, which owns the memorial, took advice from a conservator and got the permissions it needed. A specialist cleaned the stone gently, with nothing harsher than water and soft brushes, and a letter cutter recut the names that had worn shallow over a hundred years. What Martin is doing this morning is the quiet work around it: pulling the weeds from the gravel border, cutting back the grass from the bottom step with hand shears, sweeping the leaves off the steps, picking up a crisp packet and a bottle top, and checking that the little wooden cross someone left in August hasn't blown away. In two weeks' time, on Remembrance Sunday, the village will gather here, the names will be read out, two minutes' silence will fall and the wreaths will be laid on these steps. Martin wants it to look right.
Martin has been looking after the memorial for twelve years. He's part of a small group that formed when the parish council asked for volunteers to keep the site tidy. There's a former history teacher called Ann who researched every one of the fifty-four names and wrote their stories for a booklet; a couple who plant the border with red and white flowers every spring; a retired stonemason who sits on the parish council's memorial working group and knows what should never be done to old stone; a young man in the Air Cadets who helps with the poppy wreaths and the flags; and a chair who handled the grant application, the faculty papers, the conservator's report and the endless emails that let the spring restoration happen.
By midday, Martin will have finished. He'll stand on the pavement for a minute and look at the cross against the grey sky, the way he always does, and then he'll walk home for lunch. Most people who drive past the memorial will notice only that it looks cared for, which is exactly the point.
If you know someone like Martin, or Ann, or the couple who plant the border, this is for you. It's about thanking the people who give their time to a war memorial: the tidying and gardening volunteers, the people who report its condition, the researchers who give the names their stories, the people who raise the money and steer a careful restoration with the owner and the specialists, the people who organise Remembrance, and the families and partners behind them. It's about words first, a few rules that matter more here than almost anywhere, photos that work and a simple idea we make: a private digital jigsaw of a photo they love, with your note appearing when the last piece clicks in.
We know this is a sensitive subject. A war memorial is a place of grief and remembrance, and the names on it belong to real people with living families. Some people feel that anything like a game doesn't belong near it, and they may be right for the person you're thinking of. If so, choose a handwritten card instead, and read on only for the parts about words. If a gentle, private puzzle of a photo they love would mean something to them, we've tried to suggest how to do it respectfully.
Who we mean
There are war memorials in almost every town and village in Britain and Ireland, and in many places across the Commonwealth, the United States and Europe: crosses, obelisks, statues, plaques in churches, rolls of honour in schools and workplaces, memorial gates, halls and gardens. Many are owned by parish or town councils, local authorities or churches; some have no clear owner at all. Around many of them, there's a small group of volunteers. When we say "war memorial volunteers", we mean people like:
- the people who keep the site tidy: sweeping the steps, weeding the border, cutting the grass around the base and clearing litter, always within what the owner has agreed;
- the gardeners who plant and water the memorial bed;
- the people who keep an eye on the memorial's condition and report problems to the owner, or record it on a war memorials register;
- the researchers who find out who the names were, where they lived, where they served and how they died, and share their stories;
- the fundraisers and project leaders who work with the owner, the conservator and the stonemason on a proper restoration, from the grant application to the rededication;
- the people who organise Remembrance Sunday, Armistice Day, Anzac Day or Veterans Day at the memorial: the wreaths, the order of service, the road closure, the bugler, the readers;
- the local branches of veterans' and ex-service organisations, the cadets, the Scouts and Guides, and the church, who often play a part;
- the founders of a memorial group, who noticed the names were fading and asked what could be done.
Some memorial groups are two or three neighbours. Others are big committees steering a major restoration. Everything here works whatever the size.
Words first
The most important part of any thank-you is what you say. Memorial volunteers are often thanked at the Remembrance service in general terms ("thanks to everyone who keeps the memorial looking so smart"), but they rarely hear specific praise for the work behind it. So be specific:
- name the job: "every week since 2014", "the border you plant every spring", "the fifty-four stories you wrote", "the grant application that took a whole winter";
- name a moment: the Remembrance Sunday when the crowd went right down the road, the rededication after the restoration, the afternoon a family from Canada came to find their great-uncle's name and found his story waiting for them in Ann's booklet;
- name what it meant: the first time your children understood why the village stops at eleven o'clock, the names that have faces now, the way the memorial looks cared for again;
- name the years: "twelve years of swept steps" means more than "thank you for all you do".
If you're thanking a whole group, try to name the people who never get named. The treasurer, the person who dealt with the permissions, the one who handles the insurance and the road closure, the person who orders the wreaths and answers the group's email. They're the ones who make Remembrance happen.
Keep the words modest and about the volunteer's care, not about the war. The memorial speaks for itself.
Who it suits
A photo jigsaw with a note works best for someone who:
- enjoys a small puzzle on a phone or tablet, or has grandchildren who'll help;
- has a strong feeling for the memorial, the place it stands or the season of Remembrance;
- is stepping down after many years, or has just seen a long restoration through to the end;
- has moved away and misses the village and the people;
- has a partner or family who'd like to say thank you for all the time they gave;
- would welcome a gentle, private gift rather than a public fuss.
It's not suitable for someone who would feel that a puzzle of the memorial is disrespectful, for a family who are grieving a name on it, or for someone who doesn't use a phone or a computer at all. For them, a printed card, a framed photo or a quiet word after the service may be best.
The memorial comes first
A few rules that matter more here than almost anywhere:
- Never clean, repair or alter a memorial without permission. Every war memorial belongs to someone, often a council, a church or a trust. Cleaning, repairs, repainting, regilding, recutting names, adding names or moving anything should only happen with the owner's agreement, the right permissions (many memorials are listed or protected, and memorials in and around churches may need church permission) and advice from a qualified conservator. Well-meant cleaning has damaged many memorials.
- No harsh cleaning, ever. No pressure washers, wire brushes, scouring pads, bleach, household cleaners, acids, rust removers or metal polish on stone, bronze, brass or lettering. Stone, lead lettering, gilding and bronze patina can be ruined in minutes. War memorial charities publish clear guidance on this; follow it and the owner's instructions.
- War graves are cared for by the commission that owns them. In Commonwealth countries, many war graves and some memorials are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Don't clean or tidy those headstones yourself; report any problem to the Commission, and if you'd like to help, ask about its own volunteering.
- Stay safe. Memorials stand at road junctions, on steep steps and on high plinths. Don't climb on a memorial, lean ladders against it or work in the road without the proper arrangements. Wear gloves when weeding, and leave anything structural, high or heavy to specialists.
- Wreaths and tributes belong to the people who laid them. Don't move, tidy away or photograph the cards on wreaths and tributes without care. Many groups have a policy on when wreaths are removed after Remembrance; leave that to them.
- Paid staff and specialists. Councils, churches and conservators may have rules about gifts. Keep anything for paid staff small and personal, and remember that specialists are paid for their work; a thank-you is not a fee.
- The group's money is the group's. If you'd like to support the memorial, give to the group or the restoration fund directly. Don't use group funds for a personal thank-you to a single volunteer unless the committee agrees. A personal gift from you is a different thing, and a modest one is fine.
- Children. Cadets, Scouts, Guides and schools often take part in Remembrance. Don't photograph children or single them out publicly without their parents' and the group's agreement.
- People's details. Keep the group's contact list, the families' details, the researchers' private notes and anyone's phone number out of everything you photograph or send.
When to send it
Good moments to thank a memorial volunteer:
- after Remembrance Sunday, Armistice Day, Anzac Day or Veterans Day, when the wreaths are laid and the crowd has gone home;
- when a restoration is finished and the memorial is rededicated;
- when a research project is published, or the names' stories go up online or in the church;
- on an anniversary of the memorial's unveiling;
- when a volunteer steps down after many years;
- at the group's annual meeting, or the parish meeting, when everyone is thanked;
- in memory of a volunteer who has died, with their family's agreement.
This year, Remembrance Sunday in the UK falls on 8 November 2026, and Armistice Day, Remembrance Day in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and Veterans Day in the United States all fall on Wednesday 11 November. Many memorial groups are busiest in the next three weeks. A thank-you sent in the quiet days after 11 November, when the work is done, is often the one that's best received. Please don't send it on the day itself.
Why a jigsaw can fit
A memorial looks like one solid thing, but it's made of many: the stones of the base and the shaft, the carved cross or figure, the lettering cut by hand, the bronze plaques, the steps, the railings, the border, the names. A memorial group is many people too, each doing one part. A jigsaw of a photo of the memorial in the soft November light, or the border in flower in summer, with a note that appears when the last piece goes in, echoes that quietly. It's also something gentle to do on a dark evening, when the wreaths have faded and the season is over.
It's private, it's small, and it doesn't add to the clutter in someone's house. And unlike a framed print, it can be sent from anywhere: from the family abroad who found their relative's story, from the volunteer who moved away, from the grandchild who stood at the memorial with them every November.
For the people who keep the site tidy
The weekly tidiers make a memorial look cared for all year round, not just in November. They sweep, weed, cut the grass by hand around the base, clear the litter and quietly report anything wrong. A note might mention the swept steps, the years of Saturday mornings or the way the memorial never looks neglected. A photo of the memorial with the steps clear and the grass neat, taken from the pavement, suits them.
For the gardeners
A memorial bed in flower is one of the gentlest ways a village remembers. The gardeners plant, water through the dry spells and keep the border tidy. A note might mention the red and white flowers, the spring bulbs or the watering cans carried from the house next door. A photo of the memorial border in full flower, with the base of the memorial behind it, suits them.
For the people who watch over its condition
Some volunteers keep an eye on a memorial's condition, take careful photographs and report problems to the owner or record them on a war memorials register, so that small issues are dealt with before they become big ones. A note might mention the crack they spotted, the report that started the restoration or their patience in chasing it up. A photo of the memorial on a bright day, all of it in the frame, suits them.
For the researchers
The researchers give the names their faces. They've searched records, newspapers and census returns, found photographs and letters, traced families and written the stories that are read out, printed in booklets and shared online. A note might mention the name you didn't know was your relative, the talk you went to or the booklet you keep on the shelf. Choose a photo of the whole memorial rather than a single name, unless the name is your own family's and you're sure it's welcome.
For the restoration team
A proper restoration can take years: the owner's agreement, the conservator's survey, the permissions, the grant applications, the fundraising, the specialists' quotes, the work itself and the rededication. The volunteers who steer it rarely see it through without frustration. A note might mention the grant that came through, the day the scaffolding came down or the rededication service. A photo of the restored memorial, or a careful then-and-now pair taken from the same spot, suits them.
For the Remembrance organisers
Someone has to order the wreaths, book the bugler, arrange the road closure, print the order of service, find the readers, brief the cadets and make sure the microphone works in the rain. A note might mention the silence, the crowd or the way it all came together. A photo of the memorial after the service, with the wreaths laid and no people in the frame, suits them, as long as the cards on the wreaths can't be read.
For the founders
The founders noticed that the names were fading, the stone was green and the railings were rusting, and they asked what could be done. Without them, there would be no group. If the memorial is cared for because of them, say so. A photo of the memorial as it is now, perhaps at dusk with the sky turning pink behind it, suits them.
If you live with a memorial volunteer
Partners and families give up a lot: the Saturday mornings, the evenings on grant forms and research, the boot of the car full of compost and wreath boxes, the November weekends when everything else waits. If you live with a memorial volunteer, a jigsaw from you can say something they might not hear from anyone else: "Thank you for all the time you give. I know what that memorial means to you, and I'm proud of you." A photo of the memorial from their favourite spot suits this.
When a long-serving volunteer steps down
When someone steps down after many years, the group often gives them a card or a framed photograph, and sometimes their name is mentioned at the Remembrance service. A jigsaw from the group can sit alongside that. Pick a photo that sums up their years: the memorial in the border they planted, the restored stone they fought for, the steps they swept. Ask everyone to add a line to the note, or keep it short and let the card carry the longer messages.
In memory of a volunteer
Some memorial groups add a volunteer's name to the parish records, plant a tree or place a small bench nearby, with the owner's agreement. If a volunteer has died, a jigsaw can be a gentle way for their family or the group to remember them, but only with the family's agreement. Choose a photo they loved, avoid anything that might upset, leave the leaderboard off, and keep the note simple: "In memory of Jean, who kept the memorial beautiful for twenty years."
For memorial volunteers elsewhere
What we've written applies in many places where war memorials are cared for by volunteers:
- in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, where memorials are often owned by councils and churches, charities give conservation advice and grants, and volunteers keep sites tidy and research the names;
- in the United States, where veterans' organisations, historical societies and community volunteers look after monuments, place flags and organise Veterans Day and Memorial Day observances;
- in Canada, where legion branches and community volunteers care for cenotaphs and organise Remembrance Day;
- in Australia and New Zealand, where ex-service associations, councils and volunteers look after war memorials and organise Anzac Day and Remembrance Day services;
- across Europe, where communities and volunteers look after memorials, war cemeteries and the graves of soldiers from other countries, and welcome visiting families.
The rules about ownership, permissions, conservation, gifts and photos vary from place to place. Check your own group's and the owner's guidance, and keep the thank-you personal and modest.
Photo ideas and consent
The best photos for a memorial thank-you are simple and respectful, taken from the pavement or a public viewpoint. Some ideas:
- the memorial in the November light, the whole of it in the frame, against a soft sky;
- the memorial at dusk, with the sky turning pink or gold behind it;
- the memorial border in full flower in summer;
- the restored stone on the day of the rededication, with no people in the frame;
- the memorial after Remembrance, with the wreaths laid and no cards readable;
- the memorial in frost or snow on a winter morning;
- an old postcard or photograph of the unveiling, with permission.
Things never to photograph, or to keep out of the frame:
- people at the service, mourners, veterans and families, unless they've clearly agreed;
- children and young people, including cadets, Scouts, Guides and school groups, without their parents' and the group's agreement;
- volunteers, clergy, council staff and specialists who haven't agreed;
- the handwritten cards on wreaths and tributes, and any personal messages;
- close-ups of single names, unless they're your own family's and the family welcomes it;
- damage, graffiti or vandalism, except in a report to the owner;
- war graves and their headstones as a puzzle subject;
- the group's contact list, the families' details and anyone's phone number;
- private homes, their windows and their cars around the memorial;
- anything that means standing in the road or climbing on the steps or the memorial.
If the photo has people in it, ask them first. A photo with no people at all, just the memorial, the border, the sky and the light, is often the easiest, most respectful and best choice.
Getting the JPG right
Puzzlify works from a JPG. Most phone photos are already JPGs, or can be saved as one. A few practical tips:
- pale stone against a bright sky can fool the camera, so tap on the stone to set the exposure, then check the sky still has some colour;
- soft, overcast light is often kinder to old stone and lettering than harsh midday sun;
- step back so the whole memorial fits with a little space around it, rather than pointing up from the foot of it, which makes it look like it's leaning;
- hold the phone level and straight, so the cross or the obelisk stands upright in the picture;
- landscape images usually make the most comfortable puzzles on a phone turned sideways, but a tall memorial may suit a portrait photo with fewer pieces;
- flowers, stone texture, railings, trees and autumn leaves make good puzzles, because every piece has a little detail;
- large areas of plain sky or smooth stone are tricky, so crop them or pick fewer pieces;
- if your phone saves photos in another format, such as HEIC, change the camera setting to "most compatible" or export a copy as JPG;
- remove location data from the photo before you upload it, especially if it was taken near someone's home. On most phones, you can switch it off in the share options or the camera settings.
Privacy and an optional PIN
The puzzle is private: it's shared as a link, not posted on a public board. You can add an optional PIN so that only someone who knows it can open the puzzle, which is useful if you're sending it to the group's email list. Even so, treat the photo as if it might be forwarded, and keep mourners, children, wreath cards, private homes and anyone's details out of it. Puzzlify doesn't use your photos to train AI or share them with third parties.
Say it's from you
Community groups and their volunteers get a lot of unexpected messages, from fake invoices to "your charity registration is about to lapse" scams, and volunteers are rightly wary of unexpected links. Say who it's from and what it is in the message itself: "This is a little jigsaw of the memorial you've looked after for twelve years, with a note at the end. It's from me, and it's safe to open." For someone who doesn't use email much, print the link as a QR code inside a card.
Piece counts
| Pieces | Photo idea | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | the memorial against a soft sky, simple and upright | a quick, gentle solve |
| 48 | the memorial in the November light from the pavement | one clear subject, a relaxed solve |
| 80 | the memorial border in full flower | a busier image with lots of detail |
| 130 | the memorial at dusk with the trees and the sky | a detailed photo for a keen puzzler |
| 252 | the memorial and its setting, the green, the trees and the church | a long, slow solve for a long-serving volunteer |
If you're not sure, 48 or 80 pieces suits most people on a phone. Plain sky and smooth stone get tricky at high piece counts, so start lower if the image has large areas of one colour.
How to send it
Upload the photo, pick a piece count, write your note and preview it. When you're happy, publish the link and send it by email or message, print the link or a QR code inside a card, or ask the group's chair or secretary to pass it on. Start at Puzzlify's photo puzzle maker.
There's an optional leaderboard for puzzles sent to a group. For a memorial thank-you, we'd suggest leaving it off. A quiet solve suits the subject better than a race.
Note examples
- "To Martin: twelve years of swept steps and Saturday mornings. The memorial has never looked more cared for. Thank you."
- "To Ann: because of you, the names have faces. Thank you for every story."
- "To the border team: thank you for the red and white flowers every summer. The whole village notices."
- "To the restoration group: you saw it through, every form and every winter of it. Thank you."
- "To my husband: thank you for every November, and for caring so much about the names."
(Change the names, and keep anything personal or identifying out of a puzzle that may be shared.)
Honest pricing
Making and previewing a puzzle is free in your browser. You only pay when you publish the link to send it: one credit is EUR 3.99, three credits are EUR 8.99, and Plus is EUR 14.99 a year for ten credits, which can make sense if you want to thank the tidiers, the researchers and the restoration team separately. The person you send it to doesn't need an account or an app; they just open the link in a browser.
This is a digital jigsaw you play on a screen. It isn't a cardboard puzzle in the post, a printed product, a raffle prize or a public puzzle board, and it isn't connected to any memorial, council, church, commission, veterans' organisation, charity or heritage body. It's also not puzzlify.io (a chess site), Puzzlit, Puzzly or Puzzify, which are different things.
Ideas that are not a puzzle
Honestly, some of the best thank-yous for memorial volunteers cost nothing at all:
- a handwritten card, handed over after the Remembrance service or pushed through the door;
- a thank-you in the parish magazine, the local paper or the community newsletter, naming the tidiers, the gardeners, the researchers and the treasurer as well as the chair;
- nominating a volunteer or the group for a local volunteering or community award, if your area has one;
- giving to the memorial fund, the restoration appeal or the poppy appeal;
- offering your time: watering the border in August or helping with the order of service, once you've checked what the group and the owner need;
- coming to the Remembrance service, bringing your children and standing for the silence;
- sharing a photograph or a letter that might help the researchers, if you have one;
- a flask of tea and a tin of biscuits for the volunteers on the morning of the service, which never fails.
If a photo puzzle feels right as well, choose the memorial in the November light, the memorial at dusk or the border in full flower, take it from the pavement with no people in the frame, keep mourners, children, wreath cards, single names, private homes and anyone's details out of it, pick a piece count that suits them, leave the leaderboard off and write the note in your own words. You can make a free preview here and decide later whether to send it.
Whatever you send, the most important part is the sentence that sounds like you, written to the person who swept the steps every Saturday, planted the red and white flowers and found the stories behind the names, so that on Remembrance Sunday, when the village falls silent at eleven o'clock and the names are read out one by one, the memorial they look after stands clean, cared for and ready.
Written by the small team behind Puzzlify (info@puzzlify.app). Not legal, planning, listed building, church faculty, building conservation, stone, bronze or metalwork conservation, work at height, chemicals, health and safety, first aid, safeguarding, photography permission, employment or data protection advice. Check your own group's and the memorial owner's guidance, and specialist conservation advice, before anyone touches a memorial.