Commonwealth Heads pay tribute to the Unremembered

Our Unremembered wreath has been presented to the Foreign Secretary and Commonwealth Foreign Ministers at a lunchtime reception as part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting along with nearly 100 others made by community groups across the UK.

Foreign Secretary with members of the Big Ideas team
Photo courtesy of CHOGM 2018.

The many delegates and diplomats included the International Minister for the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, the Minister of National Security for Bermuda and the High Commissioner of Barbados.

The whole school at Paganel Primary have worked with PHC to make felt flowers to create one large wreath to remembered the Unremembered Labour Corps,and in particular those buried at Lodge Hill Cemetery.

'It’s been really wonderful here in the Big Ideas office as parcels have arrived, and The Unremembered wreaths have impressed everyone with their beauty coupled with the powerful and poignant statements you have made.' 

Image left to right: Military Advisor Brigadier Krishnan,
High Commission of India to the UK, Sally Sealey, MHCLG,
and Lord Bourne, Minister for Communities, MHCLG.

The response to the wreaths has been amazing. 58 of the wreaths are currently being displayed in the atrium of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in Westminster, London. The building also houses the Home Office, and ministers and staff from across the government departments have been able to view and engage with the wreaths.

Lord Bourne, the Minister for Communities, and Military Advisor Brigadier Krishnan from the High Commission of India to the UK, visited the display at the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government where they learnt about all of the contributions from across the country. The construction of the wreath display has been supported by the High Commission of India to the UK after they heard about the project and the wonderful wreaths earlier this year.

Big Ideas have now partnered with the National Army Museum for a public display of the wreaths in May 2018, exact dates to be confirmed, including the dates our wreath will be there in case you would like to visit.

You can follow more updates on the wreath activity on media (@Big_Ideas_Co,  _bigideas, @BigIdeasCo).  

Tamati Tumara Peneamene of the New Zealand Maori contingent. Maoris were initially not allowed
to fight and were enlisted into the Labour Corps.

The wreath activity was a fantastic launch of our project, Field of Remembrance - well done our ‘Field of Archives’ team supporting making of flowers by all pupils from years 3 to 6 at Paganel School - please see our whole school assembly presentation for more details on the four soldiers buried at Lodge Hill Cemetery we researched who served in the Labour Corps.

Wreath made by Paganel Primary School for
the Unremembered