SIR – Following the overwhelming popularity of our Heroes Return 2 funding programme, I am delighted to announce the Big Lottery Fund has extended its scheme for a further year, enabling even more Second World War veterans from the Bradford area to return to the places where they fought.

Originally the grants scheme was scheduled to close this month, but BIG has decided to extend it to ensure as many veterans as possible can take advantage of the funding.

This extension of the scheme will be a huge help to those who have felt so far unable to make their personal journeys back to the battlefronts.

To date, more than 50,000 individual journeys have been made through Heroes Return 2 and its forerunner grants scheme to former battlefronts such as Italy, France, Greece, Holland, Germany and the Far East as well as to attend commemorative events within the UK.

The Lottery grants are available for travel and accommodation costs for veterans or their widows, along with spouses and a carer, and I urge any veterans yet to be awarded a grant to get in touch Details about the scheme and how to apply are available by calling 0845 0000121, or visiting biglotteryfund.org.uk/heroesreturn.

Anna Southall, interim chairman of the Big Lottery Fund, Plough Place, London