British, French and Belgian students attend International Remembrance Seminar
14 October 2011
Students from the UK, France and Belgium have
gathered in the historic Belgian town of Ypres to gain a better
understanding of the meaning of Remembrance; 92 years after the end
of World War I.
The event, just three weeks before the annual Poppy Appeal, coincides with The Royal British Legion's 90th anniversary and highlights that the Legion is as relevant today as it was when it was founded in the aftermath of WWI.
The Royal British Legion's National Chairman John Farmer said: "We wanted to do something special this year to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Legion."
"This is the first event bringing together schools from three countries affected by World War I and we hope that it will continue into the future and ensure all generations have the opportunity to learn and to remember."
The students created a joint Declaration of Remembrance which was presented to the Legion and to Belgian authorities. The declaration will be used to help set programmes for future co-operation and Remembrance activities in schools.
Jodie Handsley, a student from the Dearne Advanced Learning Centre in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, said she felt honoured to have been included in the event. "I really enjoyed working with students from other countries and have made lots of new friends. The workshops were really interesting and I realised how many common feelings we have about World War I."
Battlefield tours were provided by The Royal British
Legion's Poppy Travel and took in the famous Tyne Cot Commonwealth
War Graves Cemetery and Memorial to the Missing and the
Passchendaele Museum. These tours brought to life many historic
tales and sights that students would normally only learn about in
text books.
The students attended a moving Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, which honours nearly 55,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers killed on the Ypres Salient whose graves are unknown. Students representing each country were invited to lay a wreath.
The Royal British Legion Learning Programme for schools ensures that 2.5 million young people have regular access to free learning resources all year round. The Royal British Legion Learning Pack is now available online.
Media contact:
Alisha Chapman, Public Relations Officer, The Royal British
Legion
T: 07768 486 965 E: achapman@britishlegion.org.uk
