Blue Plaques

The Wolverhampton Society’s Blue Plaque Scheme

Do you have a nomination for a commemorative blue plaque? Any person or organisation can nominate a subject/event/building for a Blue Plaque. If you have a suggestion, take a look at the criteria and process, below. If you then wish to make a nomination, please email the Society’s Blue Plaque Secretary, Barry Hodgson, at barryhodg@yahoo.com with your proposal.

1. Information Required for the Committee to First Consider the Proposal

• Background of the subject, event or building.
• Your thoughts on a reason for the nomination.
• Ideas (if any) for sourcing the sponsorship money to pay for it.
• Your Suggestions (if any) on where the plaque could be located.

Usually, the Committee will only consider nominations for a Subject who has died at least 10 years ago.  Exceptions are allowed if justified.

2. Criteria for Acceptance

• The nominated person usually has/is:
• A reputation amongst their profession/activity/achievements.
• Done outstanding service or an important contribution to society.
• Promoted Wolverhampton in his/her work or activities.
• Brought Wolverhampton to national attention.
• Recognised by the average well-informed citizen.
• Deserving of recognition.
• Lived/worked in Wolverhampton for a significant period of time.
• Supported by a recognised body/society/organisation.

A nomination doesn’t have to have signed the ‘Declaration of Independence’ to qualify, but it certainly helps!

3. Other Considerations

• For a multiple person nomination, each must qualify in their own right
• Buildings should be of historical significance
• Events should be of historical significance
• A location must be available giving safe, reasonable view by the public
• A plaque will not usually be supplementary to existing commemoration
• The Committee will not usually duplicate a plaque already elsewhere
• Gender, race, sexuality and colour will neither be a basis for selection nor rejection

Note: On the basis that ‘the exception proves the rule’, the Committee may exercise discretion on some of the above criteria/considerations and this document may be amended as time goes on.

4. Research

This can be offered to the Committee by the nominator/sponsor.  Independent research will also be conducted by The Society using at least two bone fide sources.

5. The Approval Process

• Tentative ‘approval to proceed’ will be agreed by the Committee.
• Our Blue Plaques Officer will prepare a proposal, outline a draft design, identify a location and formalise the rationale. The Committee will then consider full approval – by consensus. At this stage the Sponsor should provide an advance payment. The location is fully agreed and the design is firmed up.
• All this information is considered by the Committee and final approval is reached.
• The design is then commissioned with the manufacturer and a pattern made and a replica is often prepared for demonstration.
• Prior to manufacture, the sponsor then provides the remainder of the money.
• The plaque is cast (in Bilston Cast Iron), machine and painted.

6. Cost

• As a general guide, plaques with plain text will cost up to £800.
• Plaques with a three-dimensional relief (bust or similar) will cost £950.

Please note that part of this cost is so that the Society pays the plaque maker a commercial rate (to aid a Wolverhampton-based business) and that a portion of this money is transferred to a reserve fund. This is to ensure that plaques are maintained by the Society and is used to cover the costs of future maintenance, repair, replacement etc.  This cost includes all aspects of the development through to the unveiling, and only excludes the cost of replicas and of any reception/catering at the unveiling ceremony.  

Note: As a general rule, the Committee will not accept Local Authority funding. Monies arising from grants and similar must be declared and approved by the Committee beforehand.

7. Unveiling

This will be organised in consultation with the sponsor and other stakeholders.  In some circumstances it may take place indoors (with the plaque fixed on location later), or if safe and sensible to do so, at the actual location.  If the sponsor wishes to organise this, provide a speaker, etc. it must be with the Committee’s approval.  The sponsor may wish to provide a list of preferred attendees for the Society to contact and invite.

8. Publicity

Will be sought wherever possible but the Committee take no responsibility for it.  The sponsor may seek publicity but the Committee will not condone any ‘commercialisation’ of the Blue Plaque scheme.  The event will be listed on the Society’s Facebook page and website and photographs and literature will be prepared for that purpose. The Society reserves the right to use these for future publications and for work to promote the scheme.