Coleg Gwent’s Independent Living Skills (ILS) students are helping to tell the experiences and memories of people in Wales as part of a global project celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Their creativity on the project has won them a place at a special Diamond Jubilee Commonwealth Observance Day in Westminster.
Students have turned local community reporters for a Commonwealth Jubilee project, interviewing Welsh icons for the Commonwealth Jubilee Time Capsule, one of the world’s biggest collaborative history projects to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The online project aims to become a global archive of stories and memories covering each day of the Queen’s 60 year reign.
The Crosskeys Campus students volunteered as ‘Commonwealth Community Reporters’, who ensure local stories are being shared from all 54 Commonwealth countries. As well as creating their own entries of photographs and memories for the capsule, students recently interviewed well-known Welsh people including Falklands war Veteran Simon Weston OBE, athlete and presenter Jamie Baulch, Lord Touhig and Paralympic gold medallist David Roberts for the project.
Following their exploration of Welsh history, students will gain a global perspective on the Commonwealth at an international gathering of Commonwealth members in Westminster Abbey on 12 March, Commonwealth Observance Day. Thanks to the originality of their time capsule entries, students were selected from hundreds of schools and youth groups to attend the event which will feature singer songwriter Rufus Wainwright, classical group All Angels and a host of international writers, musicians, artists and entrepreneurs.
“Students were very keen to add their voices to this exciting global project, and also those of others representing Wales,” said ILS Tutor Victoria English. It’s been a fascinating journey so far.”
Two sporting heroes recently visited Crosskeys Campus, sharing their stories with students and recording their ‘most memorable day’ for the Jubilee time capsule project. Paralympic swimmer and 11 time gold medallist David Roberts and Olympic athlete and presenter Jamie Baulch, shared stories and their Olympic medals with the groups.
Jamie Baulch said: “As I’m from this part of the world, it’s been great to come back and meet a group of such enthusiastic students.
“It’s been a pleasure to be part of the exciting Jubilee time capsule project.”
For more information about the Jubilee Time Capsule project please visit http://www.jubileetimecapsule.org/
