Susanne Crosby from Brighton and Jenny Clifton from Eastbourne are attending The National Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey on 11 November 2018, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armistice.
Susanne and Jenny both took part in Eastbourne PALS and Sound Architect Creative Media’s ͞The Day Sussex Died͟ project with St Catherine’s College, Eastbourne, which researched the Sussex men who were at the Battle of Boar’s Head on 30th June 1916.
Members of the Royal family, and religious and political leaders will be joined by members of the public who have contributed to the Centenary on a national, regional and local level. Susanne Crosby, project manager and teacher with Sound Architect Creative Media will be accompanying Jenny Clifton, joint Head of History at St Catherine’s College in Eastbourne.
Recognising the huge contribution the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and its First World War projects have made to the Centenary, the Department for Digital, Media and Sport invited HLF to nominate people to attend the Service. As a result over 300 people who have been involved with HLF funded First World War projects across the UK will be attending the Service on Sunday.
“It’s a huge honour to be invited to attend the service at Westminster,” said Susanne, who has led on five different First World War projects over the past four years. “I have learned so much about the First World War and it’s learning about the individuals who were there that has been the most important to me. These are not just stories, these were real lives. I’ve learned of bravery that I could never have imagined, about surviving with humour and grace above the odds, in a war that did not respect dignity.͟” Both Jenny and Susanne have witnessed the impact the projects have had on the young people they have worked with. Susanne says “The students got to stand on the battlefield of the Battle of the Boars Head, near Richebourg in France, 100 years to the day. That had a profound effect on them. These were young soldiers, young men, some not much older than the students, and they could walk where they walked, really imagine what it was like. These are life changing experiences for these young people, and they will be carrying that to the generations to come, making sure that the people of the First World War are never forgotten.”
The Day Sussex Died Project was made possible by a grant of £9,200 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which distributes the heritage share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide variety of projects across the UK. HLF has invested £97million in 2,200 First World War Centenary projects.