AN ENTREPRENEUR and school students are calling for relatives of the region’s war dead to honour the soldiers who never returned from the First World War.

An annual Remembrance Project led by youngsters in the Acklam Grange School, in Middlesbrough, aims to find out more about the 3,317 veterans from the town who died in battle.

This year, the school has enlisted the help of charity leader Andy Preston, whose granddad’s step-father John Whitehead was killed in action on October 16, 1915.

He has joined the school in appealing for families who lost relatives in the Great War to offer information to the project and gather as much data as possible.

The project will involve the pupils of the school, along with its feeder schools and local organisations, including Middlesbrough Football Club and MFC Foundation, being allocated an individual to pay special commemoration to.

This follows on from poignant memorial in 2014 through to 2017, where handmade poppies were planted to represent each of the lives lost during the First World War 100 years on respectively.

Mr Preston said: “Acklam Grange do fantastic things every year to remember the victims of the First World War, and this year will be amazing.

“For each of those students to learn as much as possible, we are looking for local residents to come forward with any information they might have on any of the war dead from Middlesbrough.

“Like me, you might not even know you have a connection with the Great War, but after a visit to Middlesbrough’s war memorial in Albert Park, I was surprised to find my relative, John Thomas Whitehead, amongst the names of men who lost their lives.

“That personal connection has really brought home the devastation that the town suffered.”

Students will have the chance to learn about the life of their nominated victim, using the information gathered during the project.

They will then participate in a special remembrance service in November, marking 100 years since the end of the First World War.

Acklam Grange teacher, Jonathan Lowes, said: “We are keen for the fantastic work of the students to not only impact the school but also to be share with the local community.

“The Great War had a devastating effect on community over community 100 years ago, so we feel it is only fitting for our community to come together to pay our respects.”