The Unremembered Wreath Challenge, where participating groups created wreaths to commemorate the World War One Labour Corps from across the Commonwealth, concluded with high-profile displays and a presentation in London during April and May 2018.
Presentation at CHOGM
On Friday 20 April, five Unremembered wreaths made by community groups from across the country were presented to the Foreign Secretary and Commonwealth Foreign Ministers at a lunchtime reception as part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
One wreath made by the Hackney Mosaic Project was presented to the Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson. The other wreaths were made by Friends of Redcar Cemetery, Fenwick Parish Church Guild, Age UK Sandwell and Kirkbymoorside Primary School, and were shown to many delegates and diplomats including the Foreign Minister for St Lucia, the Minister of National Security from Bermuda and the High Commissioner of Barbados. The wreaths represent a total of 58 that were made for every member of the Commonwealth.
Creative challenge
The Unremembered Wreath Challenge has been incredibly popular, with young and old connecting over this global story and wreaths submitted from far corners of the UK. The wreaths have been completely unique to each group, with some made of materials found on local beaches, to wreaths made of sari materials, blown glass and even one made from cricket materials. Connecting with local heritage is a powerful way to bring this worldwide story home.
Fifty-eight wreaths were displayed in the reception of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government from Friday 20 April to Monday 30 April. The Ministry also houses the Home Office and the wreaths were on display to all government ministers and department staff.
Public display at the National Army Museum
We are excited to share the news that 78 wreaths are being displayed in the atrium of the National Army Museum from Monday 30 April to 23 May. Each wreath that is displayed represents a group that submitted a wreath to The Unremembered Wreath Challenge.
The display is open to the public. Groups can email us at theunremembered@big-ideas.org to find out when their wreath will be displayed, as not all are being shown at once.
We would like to thank the High Commission of India for kindly funding the wreath display.
