THE world of football has joined forces with the British Council to create Football Remembers, a huge national commemoration supported by The Duke of Cambridge marking the centenary of the Christmas Truce – an iconic moment of the First World War.
UK schools and football teams from around the world will be asked to take part in activities between now and December 2014.
HRH The Duke of Cambridge said: “It promises to be a powerful way to engage and educate young people about such an important moment in our history.
“We all grew up with the story of soldiers from both sides putting down their arms on Christmas day, and it remains wholly relevant today as a message of hope over adversity, even in the bleakest of times.”
Learn about this historic moment
An education pack will be sent to more than 30,000 schools across the UK, through the British Council, and will include includes eye-witness accounts, photos, drawings and letters from soldiers – some of which have never been published before.
The pack will also be accompanied by specially-written activities for a range of school lessons such as drama, history and sport.
The British Council’s Chief Executive, Sir Martin Davidson, said: “This year’s centenary is a valuable opportunity for a new generation to learn about this historic moment and the First World War more widely – the consequences of which continue to shape the world today, and the way in which people overseas view the UK. We want every school in the country to get involved.”
Remembering the truce
The Duke of Cambridge, President of The FA, is also backing another unique Football Remembers project where schools and football academies can design a memorial to the football played during the truce.
The winning design will be chosen by The Duke and Arsenal and England forward Theo Walcott; the memorial will be built at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire and formally unveiled in December.
FA Chairman, Greg Dyke, said: “All at The FA will be involved in the commemorations and I would like to pay special tribute to our President, HRH The Duke of Cambridge for his personal support – particularly with the memorial design competition which I hope will really capture young people’s imagination.”
Get involved
The education pack, including details of the competition, is available to download at schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/football-remembers