Author Archives: MD
Gateways to the First World War
Lecture by Dr Emma Hanna
At University of Kent
Kent Hub Schools: Abbey School, Herne Bay High School, High Weald Academy, Oasis Academy, Isle of Sheppey and Thamesview School attended the Gateways to the First World War lecture given by Dr Emma Hanna. The lecture was an important part of the schools’ Peace Fields Project. Students will use their notes to help research and compile an exhibition of their work which will be displayed at their respective Peace Field twinning ceremonies in June 2016.
ABBEY SCHOOL’S 1000 POPPIES ON REMEMBRANCE DAY
Peace Field Football Tournament
Chailey School, Thursday 15th October 2015
Chailey School are the first Network School to kick off the Peace Fields Project (PFP) Tournaments. Assistant Head, Tim Dudgeon, led the way for network schools participating in the PFP, commemorating the First World War and celebrating peace through play. The event will be followed-up with the school receiving a plaque next year twinning Chailey School playing fields with Flanders Peace Fields, Messines, Belgium, site of the First World War Christmas Truces.
Assistant Head Teacher, Tim Dudgeon, introduces guest speaker Ernie Brennan from the National Children’s Football Alliance.
It was time for Chailey School’s now annual ‘Peace Field Football Tournament’ on Thursday! This tournament is also part of Chailey School’s ongoing commemoration project on ‘Chailey and The Great War’, the school’s continuing links with local primary schools, and also an important nation-wide project with the National Children’s Football Alliance. Local primary schools from Ditchling, Fletching, Hamsey, Wivelsfield, Plumpton, Newick, Barcombe and Danehill all played with enthusiasm and considerable skill, with both sporting competition and fair play being key parts of the afternoon. Mr Dudgeon, Assistant Headteacher at Chailey School, welcomed Ernie Brennan, Managing Director of the NCFA, to start the event with a ceremony of handing over a ‘Poppy Ball’, marking the school’s playing fields twinning with Flanders Peace Field and the Peace Village at Messines in
National Children’s Football Alliance’s Ernie Brennan presents Chailey School with a Peace Poppy Ball to kick off the Peace Fields Tournament
Belgium (site of the 1914 Christmas Truce). The nation-wide Peace Field Project has invited schools not only to commemorate World War One and the Christmas Truce but also to celebrate peace through reflecting on a moment in history that inspires humanitarianism, and Chailey School is proud to be at the forefront of this and one of the first schools to be involved.
The afternoon, organized by Chailey’s Ms Davey, and refereed and run by the school’s Year 9 Junior Sports Leaders, saw some great football being played in a sporting spirit. In the end, Ditchling won the Year 3 and 4 competition (Wivelsfield and Fletching the Fair Play Award) and Hamsey the Year 5 and 6 (with Plumpton and Hamsey winning the award for Fair Play at that level).
Abhijeet Barse (right) presents a Peace Poppy Ball to Claudia Doron’s (River of Hope, CEO) son for the Republic of Congo’s Peace Fields Project. The One World Play Project Peace Ball was presented outside the FIM International Conference.
Abhijeet Barse, CEO, Slum Soccer, represented the International Children’s Football Alliance at Football Is More’s International Forum, Bad Ragaz, Switzerland. Abhijeet presented the International Peace Fields Project to an invited audience many of whom were custodians of football in their respective countries.
Slum Soccer exists to foster sustainable development within otherwise marginalised populations of India. Abhijeet, says, ‘we aim to provide long term solutions to combat rife homelessness and improve living standards within underprivileged areas. Our approaches are centred on building self-sufficient communities. The game of Football is our means to that end- connecting individuals, teaching life skills and working towards improving overall quality of life.
Abhijeet Barse presents the International Children’s Football Alliance’s Peace Fields Projects at Football Is More’s International Forum in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland.
The Peace Fields Projects will enable Slum Soccer coaches, participants and volunteers, to establish peace pitches across India. The PFP will educate young and older people the value of sports at all levels. Remembering the soldiers of the First World War is important way to contextualize a part of history that defines humanity in everyday life.
The Christmas Truces of 1914 are acts of human kindness and the stories lend themselves to everyday people from all cultures and backgrounds. We are looking forward to launching a Children’s Football Alliance (CFA) in India. Slum Soccer invites child focused agencies across India and the world to support the formation of an Indian CFA which through sharing best practice we will be in a stronger position to deliver funded projects to communities in need.
Contact: Slum Soccer
International Peace Day (Monday 21st September) kicked off the Peace Fields Projects around the world when local primary school children in Messines, Belgium, site of the 1914 Christmas Truces, played games of football with the Peace Poppy Ball.
Each poppy ball will be distributed to Peace Fields Projects in countries around the world. The poppy ball commemorates the First World War and celebrates peace through play. The Peace Day Celebration was facilitated by the Peace Village, Messines, Flanders Peace Fields and National Children’s Football Alliance with International Children’s Football Alliance partners One World Play Project. Special guests from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the USA Embasy to Belgium attended the event.
INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY LAUNCHES PEACE FIELDS PROJECTS .
Click here for Belgium Press
MONDAY 21st SEPTEMBER, PEACE VILLAGE, MESSINES, BELGIUM
International Peace Day will be hosted at the Peace Village, Messines, Belgium, where local school children will kick off a series of football games with Peace Poppy Footballs. The footballs will then be distributed to International Children’s Football Alliance projects around the world helping to create peace-makers for the future. The Peace Poppy Football will also help kick start the Heritage Lottery Funded Peace Field Project where schools in England research their World War Heritage through sport; commemorating the war and celebrating peace.
FOOTBALL & PEACE PROJECTS
Andrew Murrison, MP, The Prime Minister’s Representative for the First World War Centenary (left) & John Carmichael, International Children’s Football Alliance, NED (right) holding the Peace Field Poppy Ball which is due to kick off on International Peace Day, Monday 21st September, 2015, at the Peace Village, Messines, Belgium.
RESOURCE PACK
Click on the following links:
Welcome to the Peace Fields Project
PFP Introduction by Project Director
Kent Libraries Summary (Hub Schools)
Maidstone Museum Summary (Hub Schools)
Gateways to the First World War Summary (Hub Schools)
Kent Messenger Press Online (FREE to Hub Schools)
Rob Illingworth
Name; Rob Illingworth
Job title; Service Development Librarian, Local History- KCC Libraries, Registration & Archives.
(from 01/06/15: Community Heritage Services Officer- KCC Libraries, Registration & Archives.)
A brief explanation of your partner role and how Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives will support the Peace Fields Project?
If you explore the extensive local history collections of Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives you will find evidence of how the First World War touched and continues to touch all Kent communities. For the Peacefields project, we would especially like to help the project participants explore selected primary sources to find evidence of the impact of the war on Kent school communities. We will visit 5 project-hub schools to help with this work.
Why do you feel the PFP is important to young people and Kent Libraries, Registration & Archives?
The Peace Fields Project gives an opportunity for our staff, library volunteers & project participants to explore & highlight our First World War history resources & to link them with a dynamic programme of commemoration. In Kent, we have examples of post-war local commemorative schemes encompassing memorial sports fields, school sports pavilions and charity sports competitions etc. So it is imaginative & poignant that the young people involved in the Peacefields Project will renew the links between First World War commemoration & active sport. This will be powerfully symbolised through dedicating their own 21st century Peace Fields & through twinning these with the Flanders Peace Field.
Contact: Robert.Illingworth@kent.gov.uk
Rosalind Meredith
Name; Roz Meredith
Job title; Learning Officer, Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery
A brief explanation of your partner role and how Maidstone Museum will support the Peace Fields Project?
We have a vast range of artefacts and resources at the Museum and are fortunate enough to have a collection of First World War objects that we are able to use with children and students. We are excited about being involved in the Peacefields project to support students in their understanding and empathy of this major time in recent history. We will host the 5 hub schools at the museum over 5 half days, so they can take part in a workshop run by an educational re-enactment group – “They Shall Grow Not Old …” (www.theyshallgrownotold.org.uk) focusing on the lives of soldiers during the First World War. This will include the use of and handling of real artifacts from the time.
Why do you feel the PFP is important to young people and Maidstone Museum?
The Peacefields Project is an opportunity for the Learning Team to be involved in a worthwhile project linking the resources we have available with a key commemorative event in Kent. The project gives opportunities to young people to explore and experience key moments of the First World War through the use of stories, artefacts and sport. Those involved in the Peacefields project will have the opportunity to connect with the past through the medium of sport linked to historical artefacts. The opportunity given to students is a positive reinforcement of events in our history that should not be forgotten.
Contact: Rosalindmeredith@maidstone.gov.uk
Emma Hanna
Name; Dr Emma Hanna
Job title; Co-Investigator, Gateways to the First World War
Gateways to the First World War is one of five Centres for Public Engagement with the Centenary of the First World War. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and based at the University of Kent, Gateways comprises a team of historians who specialise in the history of 1914-1918. The main objective of Gateways is to engage the public with the history of the First World War through various events such as study days and conferences, public lectures and workshops, and supporting organisations who are running activities or research projects related to the First World War.
Gateways is very happy to be involved with the National Children’s Football Alliance (NCFA) as a project partner in the Peace Fields Project. Our role will be to organise a study session at the University of Kent on both the war more generally and sport 1914-1918, incorporating a lecture by one of our specialist historians and a workshop on historical sources specifically tailored to the project foci of the schools attending the event.
Gateways is delighted to assist the NCFA in its role within the Peace Fields project as we believe that it has the potential to enhance knowledge of the reality of the conflict greatly and encourage young people to consider closely their own role as citizens.
For more information please see our website: www.gatewaysfww.org.uk
Contact: E.L.Hannah@greenwich.ac.uk
