War memorial group rejects Ministry of Sound

The Friends of War Memorials looks likely to turn down a potential offer from The Ministry of Sound to sponsor one of its 70,000 war memorials.

Ian Davidson, founder of the FOWM, says: “The Ministry of Sound doesn’t seem to be our scene. I don’t think we want to get mixed up with it.”

His comments followed rumours he had heard about the company’s Website, which he believed included “soft porn and sex in toilets”.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Sound confirmed the night club/ record label conglomerate was considering the sponsorship.

She adds: “The Ministry of Sound is very keen to give back to the community.” She was disappointed to hear Davidson’s response and felt it was a missed opportunity for the organisation.

FOWM was launched in the summer and aims to find funding for the upkeep of Britain’s war memorials, many of which have been vandalised or are suffering from decay.

Sponsors secure a branded plaque alongside the memorial.

FOWM recently signed up the London Taxi Benevolent Association as its first sponsor (MW November 6).

The Ministry of Sound was launched as a nightclub in 1991, but has expanded its business and is now Europe’s biggest independent record label, selling over 1 million albums annually. It has an international mail order merchandising network and its Website receives over 1 million hits a month.