National memorial hoping for £4m

There has been a big increase in visitors since the memorial opened

The National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire is hoping to raise £4m of improvements.

It follows a huge increase in visitor numbers at the arboretum, in Alrewas, since the Armed Forces Memorial opened in October.

It hopes to fund an education centre and exhibition spaces to cope with an estimated 220,000 visitors a year.

The £6m stone circle memorial bears the names of 16,000 armed forces members who have died since World War II.

The Arboretum said it has raised about £500,000 so far and is appealing to private donors for more money.