Year 10 BGS pupil Jasleen has received a very special invitation – to tea at Buckingham Palace. The event, on 7 November, is the finale event of the Never Such Innocence project, established to engage young people around the world with the centenary of the First World War. You can read more about the project here.
Jasleen’s invitation is a consequence of her poem – The Indian Soldier – being awarded first prize in her age category in last year’s Never Such Innocence competition. She will be joined at the palace by fellow winners from the four years of the project, along with some special VIPs and other guests who have made the project possible.
Jasleen’s poem, along with writing and artwork from the other winners and runners up, has been published in an anthology book Never Such Innocence: Children’s Responses through Poetry, Art and Song. The book will go on sale this autumn, although Jasleen will be presented with a copy at the afternoon tea.
In addition to tea at the Palace, Jasleen has also been invited by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), on behalf of HM Government, to the remembrance service at Westminster Abbey in London, on Sunday 11 November 2018. She was nominated for this honour by Never Such Innocence, who were asked to provide names of children and young people they felt had contributed particularly to commemorating the centenary of the First World War. The service, marking the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, is sure to be a moving and historic occasion and we are delighted and proud that Jasleen will be representing BGS at this event.