First World War Centenary: School children help to get War Memorial in Hastings listed status

Pupils at Ore Village Primary Academy and Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary in Hastings have successfully helped to list their local war memorial.
Pupils at Ore Village Primary Academy and Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary in Hastings have successfully helped to list their local war memorial. SUS-180811-151601001Pupils at Ore Village Primary Academy and Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary in Hastings have successfully helped to list their local war memorial. SUS-180811-151601001
Pupils at Ore Village Primary Academy and Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary in Hastings have successfully helped to list their local war memorial. SUS-180811-151601001

Historic England has pledged to protect 2,500 war memorials by 2018 to mark the centenary of the First World War.

As part of this project, children taking part in Historic England’s Heritage Schools Programme are being invited to put their local war memorials forward for listing.

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SEE ALSO: Remembering Hastings Pupils who lost their lives in the Great War Ore War Memorial has now been listed grade II

Pupils at Ore Village Primary Academy and Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary in Hastings have successfully helped to list their local war memorial.

Mayor Nigel Sinden with a pupils from Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary (left) and  Ore Village Primary Academy. SUS-180811-151719001Pupils at Ore Village Primary Academy and Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary in Hastings have successfully helped to list their local war memorial.

Mayor Nigel Sinden with a pupils from Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary (left) and  Ore Village Primary Academy. SUS-180811-151719001
Pupils at Ore Village Primary Academy and Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary in Hastings have successfully helped to list their local war memorial. Mayor Nigel Sinden with a pupils from Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary (left) and Ore Village Primary Academy. SUS-180811-151719001

Councillor Margi O’Callaghan, Heritage champion for Hastings Borough Council said: “Ore Village Primary Academy and Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary are two of the 650 schools around the country involved in this scheme which has been set up to encourage school children to develop an understanding of their local heritage and its significance.”

She added: “Pupils from both schools worked together to research the names on the Ore War Memorial. Using newspaper articles from The Hastings and St Leonards Observer, they researched the history of the memorial and the men inscribed on it.”

The pupils carried out a survey of the war memorial’s condition that they uploaded to War Memorials Online with the help of Learning Officer Carlie Silvey, and heard from Rev. Lee Duckett about the vicar who dedicated the memorial in 1921.

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Working with Helen Spencer, Historic England’s Local Heritage Education Manager for the region, they decided to apply to Historic England to consider listing the memorial.

Danny Jayden Hammond and Jared Dobinson from Guestling Bradshaw CEP School said: “We were very grateful for the opportunity to visit the Ore War memorial and are pleased that it will remain safe for years to come.”

Marney Phillips and Rubi-Lee Smart, said: “We are pleased that this has happened. It made us realise that the people that died for us have enabled us to live in a more peaceful world.”

Teacher Dawn Eldridge said: “I am very proud that the hard work of the pupils at Guestling Bradshaw CEP School, supported by Helen Spencer from Historic England and Carlie Silvey of the War Memorials Trust has been recognised and rewarded.”

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Maria, Year 6, Ore Village Primary Academy, said: “It was really interesting learning about all the people who lived in our town. I felt like I was on ‘Who do you think you are?’ I never knew it was so easy to find out these things.”

Teacher Rosalind Sheldrake, teacher, said: “Seeing the children take pride in their local area and see them hungry to learn about the people before them was amazing. They were all so respectful and able to share insightful ideas because of how thrilling they found it. I really feel all the children involved were able to take a lot way from the experience.”

Carlie Silvey, Learning Officer for War Memorials Trust, said: “It is always a joy to hear when young people are involved in projects and activities linked to their local war memorial and take the first steps to becoming the war memorial custodians of the future. War Memorials Trust was delighted that the pupils from Ore Village Primary Academy and Guestling Bradshaw C of E Primary carried out a condition survey of their local memorial alongside their research into the names that appeared on it and their school roll of honour. The First World War centenary is a fantastic opportunity for young people to engage with local history, especially war memorial heritage and we hope that other schools and youth groups will also take this opportunity to record the condition of their local memorial.”