School in Wainfleet becomes first in county to become affiliated with RBL
Pupils, staff, guests and representatives of the RBL gathered at Magdalen Primary School for a special assembly where Year 6 pupils where presented with affiliation badges by county chairman Tony Goodwin.
The ceremony marked hope for the future of the Royal British Legion with an understanding by young children of the sacrifice servicemen and there families have made through the years.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdPat Nicholas, chairman of the local branch of the RBL, said the special relationship with the Legion began in 2009 when she received a letter and classroom work from teacher Tina Wood outlining the work her class had done for Remembrance Day.
She shared the contents of the letter which stated: “We looked at the conditions they lived in, how they were expected to fight and survive in the trenches and how the soldiers had to cross to No Man’s Land to fight.
“We discussed why the poppy is used as the symbol of remembrance and how important money raised from all the poppy sales support the soldiers and their families from the past and present.
“As their children I felt very proud of how they transferred their thoughts to words and thought they should be shared.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdSince then the pupils’ efforts have raised £1,460,20 for the RBL - compared with £211.45 prior to that.
Following the homage when the standard was lowered on stage, the school sang an emotional song, We Will Remember Them - ‘Turn your thoughts on this occasion,
‘To those who fought and died in war,
‘Years have passed and time forgotten,
‘But we will remember the soldiers once more’
Afterwards, John Johnson, county vice-chairman of the RBL, addressed the pupils and said: “I have had a tear in my eye. What is special is you are the first school to become part of the Royal British Legion so please give yourselves a clap.”
Mr Goodwin welcomed the school to the RBL family and said: “Youth is the future of the RBL.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“This year is the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War and 73 years since the end of the Second World War and soon there will be no veterans left to remind us of that.
“It is important that the message is passed on to young people so that war never happens like this again.”
Gareth Smith, headteacher at the school. said: “It is a proud day for us to be the first school in Lincolnshire to be affiliated to the Royal British Legion and we looking forward to working with them in the future.”
His words were echoed by the pupils. Lucy Robinson, 9, said: “We are doing this to help the soldiers and their families and make people think about the soldiers who died in the war.”
Daniel Wilkinson, 9, said: “It feels quite good to be the first school to be affiliated to the RBL. We raise lots of money every year.”