The Men’s Shed banded together to make this weekend one to remember (Picture: Wales News Service)

Proud neighbours in Wales have banded together to spruce up a faded war memorial just in time for Armistice Day.

Locals in Manselton, Swansea had been left disappointed at the state of two tributes to soldiers who died during the First World War.

The inscriptions honouring those lost had become almost unreadable after being battered by British weather for more than 100 years.

They were determined to have it revamped in time for Remembrance Sunday, but were shocked to get a quote of £5,000 for the work.

Men’s shed group Action Shack jumped into action and took matters into their own hands – armed with High Street markers.

They launched a project to tidy up the war memorial have recently rehung one completed memorial outside their community centre base in Manselton, Swansea.

The other has recently been completed in time for Sunday.

Gary Elward, who oversees the group, said: ‘They wanted crazy amounts of money, £5,000, £3,000, so we just decided to do it ourselves.

The group took matters – and £2.50 markers – into their own hands (Picture: Wales News Service)

The Men’s Shed saved their local community thousands (Picture: Wales News Service)

‘One of the guys went to carry out some inquiries and we bought three pens worth £2.50 so we paid less than a tenner instead.

‘We’ve had one of the men working on the inscriptions with a steady hand and some of the other boys building the surrounds for it, varnishing it, making sure it’s safe.’

The project took around six weeks to complete.

Gary added: ‘It’s all about cleaning them up and making them look good.

The Men’s Shed group brings people (Picture: Wales News Service)

‘They’ll be protected and mounted within the garden. There’s a booklet here with everyone’s name and explaining all about them.’

Action Shack meet weekly in the grounds of St John’s Day Centre to work on projects together and socialise.

Men’s shed groups across the country alleviate loneliness and bring communities together through projects such as this.

Gary added: ‘The men’s shed has been running for four years now although we had to stop through Covid for a while.

‘We’ve got about 20 members – a couple of guys who are blind, a couple of guys who are autistic, it’s all different abilities.

‘Some guys want to come in and sit down and have a chat and find out what’s going on in the world and others like to get stuck in and do things, make things.’

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The group took matters – and £2.50 markers – into their own hands.