20 children from ‘Sandown Community Kids’ travelled to London recently to visit the famous Chelsea Pensioners – a culmination of commemorative WWI projects carried out by the local group throughout 2018.
The children were invited up to visit the Chelsea Pensioners by Pensioner Ray Pearceson. Ray met the children at Brompton Cemetery last year, where they helped sow thousands of seeds for wild flowers around the graves of the many Chelsea Pensioners who are buried there. The youngsters have been working with the Royal Parks Guild and the Isle of Wight Community Rail Partnership (CRP) on a number of projects looking back on the First World War.
The group of 20 children – including 14 Primary and 4 secondary pupils, teachers and volunteers – travelled across the Solent via Wightlink before catching a train to Waterloo. It’s at the London station that the group were met by Chairman of Network Rail Sir Peter Hendy’s own Routemaster bus – loaned to the CRP for the day to make transport for the group that much easier.
At the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, the group enjoyed their lunch outside in the beautiful grounds before being given a tour with Ray. Joining Ray was Isle of Wight Chelsea Pensioner Barrie Davey, who movingly spoke to the Community Kids.
The poignant history exhibition ‘Battlefields to Butterflies’ has seen over 750 visitors over 3 days and was a partnership between The Royal Hospital Chelsea, the Royal Parks, Royal Parks Guild and the 10th Essex Living History Group. It remembers the experience of war through original artefacts, images and original artwork. This was painted by Chelsea Pensioner Rick Graham and is of the Brompton Cemetery and the butterflies around the graves and wild flowers.
After what was a memorable tour of the Royal Hospital for all, the young people made presentations to the Chelsea Pensioners of framed letters from the High Sheriff and Sandown Town Council, which thanked the Chelsea Pensioners for the community initiatives they have been involved in. The children also handed a framed school logo and Chelsea Pensioner logo which will go on display in the Hospital.
Bobby Lock, CRP Community Rail Partnership Manager said:
“The partnership working between all these groups and organisations has again made this day possible for the young people and the Pensioners they have visited- from being able to borrow a bus, to supported travel to projects and the exhibition – this really is community partnerships at their best”
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Nicola Taylor, teacher at The Bay CE School, said:
“We collectively celebrated the part our school has played in the Project and met the artist, Chelsea Pensioner Rick Graham, whose painting was a highlight of the exhibition.
“Every time I have the privilege to take the Community Kids on a trip, I feel nothing can surpass what has gone before! Osborne House, Royal Hampton Court, Brompton Cemetery… but The Royal Hospital Chelsea was a truly memorable day!”
