Published 10 June 2025
West Dunbartonshire Council has been selected to be part of a national programme of community-based events marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Clydebank Library and Museum was one of 80 venues around the UK awarded £15,000 to participate in the Our Freedom: Then and Now campaign.
The campaign, led by Future Arts Centres in partnership with Libraries Connected, will involve working with local communities to develop activity throughout the year.
In Clydebank, the project will seek community memories of the end of the war, recollections of the feeling of freedom around VE/VJ Day, and input on what freedom means today.
There will be a range of opportunities to be involved in the activity, with the project culminating with a photo/video exhibition showing the impact of Clydebank Blitz and how the landscape has recovered.
Councillor William Rooney, Convener of Corporate Services, said: "I am delighted that Clydebank have this special opportunity to be part of the National Campaign commemorating 80 years since the end of WWII. Past and present residents will come together in solidarity to honour those who lived through and lost their lives in the war and the Clydebank Blitz. This exhibition will not only highlight the impact of the Clydebank Blitz in 1941 but also celebrate how our town united, rebuilt from the rubble, and emerged stronger—a true testament to the generations before us."
Councillor Lawrence O’Neill, Vice - Convener of Corporate Services, said: “This project offers a unique opportunity to capture and preserve the memories of individuals who experienced the relief and hope that came with the end of the Second World War. By gathering these personal stories and reflections, we can create a meaningful dialogue about what freedom means now, in our present-day community.”
