A CITYWIDE dress down day is being held this week to raise tens of thousands towards new walls of remembrance in Southamp-ton.

Workplaces are being urged to take part in the event and ask staff to donate a pound to the Daily Echo-backed fundraising campaign.

Southampton City Council is planning to erect eight glass panels next to the Cenotaph in Watts Park to safeguard the names of the 2,000 First World War dead on the monument which are in danger of fading.

An additional 1,200 names of armed service or merchant navy personnel who perished in subsequent conflicts will also be etched on the panels.

Thousands of staff at Southampton City Council are already preparing to take part in the dress down day on Friday, November 26.

Southampton City Council has contributed £50,000 to the project, and a Daily Echo-backed fundraising campaign, spearheaded by the Chamber of Commerce, is under way to find an additional £61,000.

Fundraising for the memorial walls received an added boost recently from the Southampton City Youth Parliament.

It has been working with city schools to raise £25,000 by November 2010, to coincide with Remembrance Sunday.

Archie Parsons, Secretary for the Southampton Royal British Legion branch, said: “The memorial will provide a fitting and lasting tribute in the city for all those Southampton people who gave their lives defending our freedom.

“In order to bring this to project to fruition however, we need the help of local people in providing names of loved ones who should be remembered and support in raising the £61,000 required to build the memorial.”

Any members of the public that wish to add relatives to the roll of honour can contact the council’s art & public realm project officer on 023 8083 2925.