Press Release - Celebrate and Commemorate

PRESS RELEASE
 
Thursday September 13, 2018
Celebrate and Commemorate
 
ON Sunday November 11 this year the nation will commemorate the end of the First World War in 1918. A special event will take place on Monday morning October 1 at Chelmsford Museum bringing together school children and older people at the launch of a unique exhibition.
 
The Goldies Charity reaches out to older isolated people through its popular daytime Sing & Smile sessions across England and Wales. The charity also has an award-winning schools intergenerational programme which this year is based on commemorating WW1. Last evening, September 12, Goldies celebrated with the news that they had WON the Education Category of this year’s prestigious National Lottery Awards. They will feature in the BBC1 special awards programme on Wednesday September 26.
 
Children from Springfield Primary School have been working together with Chelmsford Museum on a project which has involved research into Chelmsford’s links with those who served in The Great War. The children’s work will be on display at the museum and this will be officially opened on Monday October 1 at 10.00am.
 
Headteacher at Springfield Primary School Jacquelyn Pick said;
 
“It is vitally important that children of today understand the impact that was made by those who served 100 years ago. Included in our project work has been the learning of popular WW1 songs which we will be performing at the exhibition opening and also to our parents at a special Armistice Cantata. The children’s English and art work this term has been based on WW1 and they have thoroughly enjoyed finding out about the uniforms, an individual Essex Regiment soldier, the role of women in the war and lots more beside.”
 
Nick Wickenden is Chelmsford Museum’s Senior Curatorial Consultant, he added;
 
“The children from the school have come into the museum to look at some of the artefacts that we hold here. From September 29ththrough to November 11 we will be displaying many of them for the public to see, including the personal effects of two young Essex soldiers who died on the Somme.  Some 9,000 officers and  men from the Essex Regiment gave their lives during the First World War, including over 400 from Chelmsford alone, and we hope that many of their descendants will be able to come to the museum to see the exhibition during this time.”
 
The exhibition will be opened by Major Peter Williamson, Chair of Trustees of the Essex Regiment Museum. Also attending will be The Mayor of Chelmsford, Cllr Yvonne Spence, many of the older people who attend the ‘Goldies’ sessions around the city as well as member of the British Legion and other invited guests. The founder of the Goldies Charity, Grenville Jones, will also attend on October 1.
 
www.ourmemories.org.uk
 
ENDS
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.