YEAR six pupils from South Farnham School were privileged to join the heads of state from Britain and Germany at a Remembrance Service at Westminster Abbey on Sunday, November 11 as a result of the school’s work with the Never Such Innocence charity.

The children were honoured to be present at this momentous occasion to mark the Centenary of the Armistice of the First World War. This service was the final act of commemoration in four years of centenary events.

Present were Her Majesty The Queen and His Excellency Frank-Walter Steinmeier, The President of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Her Majesty was accompanied by other senior members of the royal family including The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent and Prince Michael of Kent.

Other guests at the service, led by The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, included the Prime Minister, Theresa May, leading politicians and representatives of nations from both sides of the war.

The service was broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Radio 4

Never Such Innocence aims to engage young people in the First World War centenary through poetry, art and song. All winning works, including South Farnham’s  first place winner, ‘I Stand Alone’, have been published in a beautiful hardback anthology. 

Rebecca Farnfield, a former pupil of South Farnham School, along with Miss Esther Whitbourn, a year six teacher at South Farnham School, were invited to Buckingham Palace to celebrate the work of the Never Such Innocence competition winners from the four centenary years. Rebecca read her poem ‘I Stand Alone’ as the 2017 competition winner.