SUNNYDOWN SCHOOL PEACE PITCH REMEMBRANCE DAY 2024
On Monday 11th November, Sunnydown School Caterham held their Act of Remembrance followed by The Global Peace Games Football Tournament which took place on the school’s Peace Pitch, twinned with the Christmas Truce Pitch at Messines, Belgium.
David Ramzan represented the Children’s Football Alliance on the day where a programme of events began outside the school building at their impressive Cherry Tree, where several students took part in carrying out readings in memory of those who gave their lives during WW1.
School head Paul Jenson with David Ramzan of the CFA
The Remembrance ceremony was led by school head Paul Jenson, with school governors and members of the local community including the Round Table and the Caterham Town Cryer, also in attendance.
After some refreshment made by the school’s Key Stage 4 Food & Nutrition students, the football tournament, organised by sports teacher Ben Wright, began with five teams taking part:-
KS4 United and Sunnydown Spurs (students), Sunnydown Staff, currant champions The Round Table, and Monday Night footballers, a team made up from members of the local community who play regular games on the school Peace Pitch.
Each team played each other in some exiting games in front of the watching school students and staff.
Although all the games were played in a spirit of friendship, there was a winner, and again it was players from The Round Table.
The Global Peace Games Football Tournament will be played annually on the schools Peace Pitch which is also used by the local community.
SUNNYDOWN SCHOOL PEACE PITCH TWINNING CEREMONY ON REMEMBRANCE DAY 2022
SUNNYDOWN SCHOOL represented their country at the May 2022 Global Peace Games here are some poems from the school’s Ambassadors for Peace:
Now and Then by Liam Tushingham
Traveling to Belgium, 18 on the bus.
Dover to Calais
Through The Tunnel,
Pitch black and bumpy,
Packed lunches out, eating to our hearts desire,
Talking and laughing,
Destination Messines Peace Village!
Arrived on the beach,
clutching my gun, so close for protection.
Explosions to the left, explosions to the right, explosions behind me.
Salty sea cutting my lips,
Smoked filled air encasses our troops.
Destination unknown!
Global Peace Games by George Smith
Global Peace Games
Such a wonderful thing
Filled with love and care but also deadly thing
the past we still remember every day and night
Which bombs and guns and screems all the time
Except for one day that changed everything.
Where both sides agreed to everything
Where both sides began to chat and play
Such fun they had for just one day
After that day we still remember
About how biggest threats
Became best friends.
Decades from now I came to that place
Where soldiers and generals Stopped for one day
But that day was oh so important
as that snowy day alone was christmas day.
Global Peace Games by Cam’ron Pindi
The theme our five days was peace
Not a piece of music
That we listen to,
Not the pizza
That we share equally
Into multiple pieces,
But the peace
Where we have freedom from disturbance.
We took a coach
To a Eurotunnel to France
And drove through France
Towards Flanders in Belgium
Where we were welcomed
With open arms
To a place where British
And Allied forces fought
Germany for 4 long years
Killing millions of lives.
We met 2 after school youth groups –
Inex from Czech Republic
And Groep Intro
Based in Flanders
But it has youth from all over the world.
Many of whom are refugees
From countries in a state of war
Similar to what it was like
Over 100 years ago where we stayed in Flanders.
We saw Pachendale
And Tyne Cot
Where we learnt a lot
About the soldiers
Who fought for our freedom.
We also attended
The Last Post in Ypre
Where we paid respect
To our forefathers
And foremothers
Who lost their lives
In the Great World War