Armistice Cantata beat off competition from 700 entries to win £5,000 cash prize and an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy and will have its work celebrated on a special BBC One programme to be broadcast on the 26 September.

Welsh singing sensation Katherine Jenkins today (September 12th 2018) surprised Cardiff-based project, Armistice Cantata, with the news that they have won Best Education Project in the National Lottery Awards 2018. 

The mezzo soprano broke the news of the win to pupils at Thornhill Primary School in Cardiff, who piloted the intergenerational education project with Goldies charity founder Grenville Jones which commemorates the Centenary of the end of WW1 (November 11 2018)!

The National Lottery Awards are the annual search for the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects and celebrate the inspirational people and projects who do extraordinary things with National Lottery funding. Marking 100 years since the end of the Great War (November 11 2018), Armistice Cantata is part of a two-year intergenerational education project led by Grenville and his Goldies charity that encourages primary schools to open their doors to older people.

As part of the programme, from Goldies Cymru – which helps older people get involved in music through daytime FUN Songs and Smiles – teamed up with youngsters from Thornhill Primary school in Cardiff who have written a musical to celebrate the end of World War One. The children from Thornhill Primary appear on stage together in a 30-minute production, named Armistice Cantata. The musical – which includes popular songs from World War One – is now being rolled out to a number of schools across England and Wales. More than 7,000 children and 800 older people from the Goldies charity are taking part.

Katherine, who has been hailed as the new ‘Force’s Sweetheart’, has performed for British troops in war zones across the world over the years. She followed the announcement today by meeting school pupils and representatives from the Goldies Cymru charity who have developed a new friendship by taking part in the Armistice Cantata project whilst learning more about the Great War. Katherine releases her new album ‘Guiding Light’ on 30th November. 

Katherine, from Neath, South Wales, who has been dubbed new ‘Force’s Sweetheart for her performances to British troops across the globe, said: “I’m delighted to announce Armistice Cantata as the winner of the UK’s Best Education Project in the National Lottery Awards 2018. It’s thanks to National Lottery players, who raise £30 million each week for good causes, that amazing projects like this are possible.  

Grenville Jones, the Founder of the Golden-Oldies Charitable Trust and Goldies Cymru in South Wales, lost his Grandfather at the battle of the Somme in WW1. This personal history formed part of his decision to develop the WW1 inter-generational education programme. 

He added: “I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for us. We are delighted to be crowned the UK’s best Education project in the National Lottery Awards.   

“This is a remarkable project and it is very special because it can be adapted by schools who wish to localise their own productions. We have seen on so many occasions the joy that comes when children and older people meet together on school projects, especially when they are joined in song.”
 
The Goldies school project website is          www.ourmemories.org.uk

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For further information please contact Grenville Jones on 0777 828 2934 or The National Lottery Awards:
Oswyn Hughes on 07976 324 179 or email oswyn.hughes@Lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
PICTURE CAPTION: 
Welsh singing sensation, Katherine Jenkins, crowns Armistice Cantata the National Lottery’s Best Education Project.  
 
 
 

PRESS RELEASE
 
Thursday September 13, 2018
Celebrate and Commemorate
 
ON Sunday November 11 this year the nation will commemorate the end of the First World War in 1918. A special event will take place on Monday morning October 1 at Chelmsford Museum bringing together school children and older people at the launch of a unique exhibition.
 
The Goldies Charity reaches out to older isolated people through its popular daytime Sing & Smile sessions across England and Wales. The charity also has an award-winning schools intergenerational programme which this year is based on commemorating WW1. Last evening, September 12, Goldies celebrated with the news that they had WON the Education Category of this year’s prestigious National Lottery Awards. They will feature in the BBC1 special awards programme on Wednesday September 26.
 
Children from Springfield Primary School have been working together with Chelmsford Museum on a project which has involved research into Chelmsford’s links with those who served in The Great War. The children’s work will be on display at the museum and this will be officially opened on Monday October 1 at 10.00am.
 
Headteacher at Springfield Primary School Jacquelyn Pick said;
 
“It is vitally important that children of today understand the impact that was made by those who served 100 years ago. Included in our project work has been the learning of popular WW1 songs which we will be performing at the exhibition opening and also to our parents at a special Armistice Cantata. The children’s English and art work this term has been based on WW1 and they have thoroughly enjoyed finding out about the uniforms, an individual Essex Regiment soldier, the role of women in the war and lots more beside.”
 
Nick Wickenden is Chelmsford Museum’s Senior Curatorial Consultant, he added;
 
“The children from the school have come into the museum to look at some of the artefacts that we hold here. From September 29ththrough to November 11 we will be displaying many of them for the public to see, including the personal effects of two young Essex soldiers who died on the Somme.  Some 9,000 officers and  men from the Essex Regiment gave their lives during the First World War, including over 400 from Chelmsford alone, and we hope that many of their descendants will be able to come to the museum to see the exhibition during this time.”
 
The exhibition will be opened by Major Peter Williamson, Chair of Trustees of the Essex Regiment Museum. Also attending will be The Mayor of Chelmsford, Cllr Yvonne Spence, many of the older people who attend the ‘Goldies’ sessions around the city as well as member of the British Legion and other invited guests. The founder of the Goldies Charity, Grenville Jones, will also attend on October 1.
 
www.ourmemories.org.uk
 
ENDS
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.
 

Wednesday June 27th
 
Children at Thornhill Primary School in Cardiff are celebrating today ( June 27 ) after hearing that their unique 30 minute World War 1 production of words and music called Armistice Cantata has been chosen amongst hundreds in the 2018 National Lottery Awards 2018 - Education category.
 
Thornhill are great supporters of the Goldies Cymru Charity who, through daytime Song and Smile fun singalong sessions, brighten the lives of hundreds of older people across South Wales. The charity also promotes links between primary schools and communities and its current Heritage WW1 Lottery project is based on the commemoration of the final months of the First World War.
 
www.ourmemories.org.uk
 
It was West Country based ‘Goldies’ founder Grenville Jones who first contacted the school with the idea of children researching and writing a new original work that schools across the UK could adopt as November 11th 2018 and Armistice Day approached.
 
Liz Berry is deputy head at Thornhill, she explains:
 
“Our school has really embraced the Goldies charity and we have seen the huge benefits that come when our older people and grandparents visit school to meet and enjoy the WW1 projects and sing the Goldies songs.
 
“When Grenville approached us we were delighted to be asked and our brilliant Year 4 and 5 children, led by Thornhills inspired music teacher Claire Holcombe wrote  the song words which are adapted to melodies of 100 years ago. I cannot emphasise enough how proud we are of  them all. Everyone who has seen it has been moved to tears by the words and the sentiments of Armistice Cantata.” 
 
Thornhill pupils worked on the project for 6 months and research included a visit to the Glamorgan Archives to study WW1 memorabilia and letters and find out more about the men from South Wales who went to war.
 
There are 7 songs and groups of children composed the lyrics for each one.  They then worked on the narration script and the moving images that form the backdrop to the 30 minute production.
 
Cardiff based Alwyn Humphreys is a Goldies Cymru trustee, he said;
 
“This is a remarkable National Lottery funded project which has bridged the generations in commemorating those who served during the First World War. Armistice Cantata is very special because it can be adapted by schools who wish to localise their own productions. There are also opportunities to include local choirs.
 
“We have seen on so many occasions the joy that comes when children and older people meet together on school projects, especially when they are joined in song. We’re hoping that all our supporters will vote for Armistice Cantata to be named the UK’s Best Education project.”
 
Voting can be on line  https://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/project/armistice-cantata
The project has a dedicated phone number  0844 836 9678
For the duration of the campaign, the  project also has its own unique hashtag. It is #NLAArmisticeCantata
 
Final word goes to Sir Cliff Richard, Patron of the Goldies Charity. He  said:

“We reach out and bring together children with older people in their local communities through our schools programme. Armistice Cantata is a brilliant production researched and written by talented children from Thornhill Primary School, Cardiff.  To be nominated as one of the Education projects in the National Lottery Awards 2018 is a tremendous accolade and we are asking for everyone who supports our work to vote either online, by telephone or through Twitter for Armistice Cantata.

“Please help us to win this award.”

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Enquires to either Grenville Jones on 0777828 2934
Or Liz Berry at Thornhill school on  029 2075 1302

PRESS RELEASE
 
Monday 21 May 2018
 
Cantata Remembers the Fallen
 
A unique 30 minute production of words and music has been written by primary school children in Cardiff to commemorate the end of World War One.
 
Thornhill Primary School were approached by the Goldies Cymru charity last year with details of their intergenerational programme linked to the final months of World War One.
 
Through deputy head Liz Berry and music teacher Claire Holcombe the school has a close link with the ‘Goldies’ charity that brightens the lives of hundreds of older isolated people across South Wales through its daytime Sing&Smile sessions.
 
“Goldies is really very special and we have worked with its founder Grenville Jones in the past on WW1 projects which the children have thoroughly enjoyed and it has certainly helped to broaden their knowledge of the importance of how the First World War affects lives and communities today.”
 
Following conversations with Grenville Jones, the charity founder, the school set out to research and write their special production called Armistice Cantata. It contains seven songs with original words from the children and set to popular tunes from 100 years ago. The children composed the melodies and also the narrative that accompanies the piece. There are solos which feature the children and plans to perform Armistice Cantata in the months leading up to Armistice Day Sunday November 11.
 
It was launched last November in Cardiff and was then made available for schools across the United Kingdom to access and perform as part of their individual WW1 commemorations.
 
Goldies Cymru is supported by the Big Lottery Fund in Wales, Heritage Lottery Fund First World War, the Moondance Foundation and the Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust.
 
“Armistice Cantata is a very poignant and moving production and special credit must go to Claire Holcombe, the music teacher at Thornhill, who guided the children in all aspects of originating both words and music. There is a full information pack with CDs, music scores, narrative and supporting visuals and over 20 schools have already ordered their copies,” said Grenville Jones, founder of Goldies Cymru.
 
Full details of Goldies sessions across South Wales can be found on the website www.goldiescymru.org.uk
 
ENDS
 
The attached photographs were taken at the launch last November and show children from Thornhill Primary School performing Armistice Cantata.
 
Press enquiries to Liz Berry, deputy head at Thornhill Primary School, can be contacted on 02920 751302
Or Grenville Jones, Goldies Cymru founder, on 07778 282934.
 

PRESS RELEASE
  
Wednesday February 28, 2018

Remembering WW1 in stories and songs
 
As the nation looks back to commemorate the final months of WW1 leading up to November 11 and the Armistice, primary schools across England and Wales are signing up for projects that will link them with older people in their communities.
 
The Golden-Oldies charity started in November 2007 in the West Country. There are now 160 daytime Sing & Smile sessions supported by an army of volunteers across Southern England, Yorkshire, the Midlands, Devon, Cornwall, Essex and in South Wales, as Goldies Cymru. More fondly referred to just as “Goldies” thousands attend the fun singalongs at church halls, Libraries and community rooms.
 
Eight years ago, charity founder Grenville Jones launched an intergenerational programme for schools, encouraging them to open their doors to older people in their communities. The most recent programme in 2014 ran across the South West and was based on the first two years of WW1. Hundreds of schools took part with heritage and memorabilia days, concerts and special events. This new programme encourages primary schools to commemorate the final months of WW1 leading up to November 11 and the anniversary of the Armistice.
 
The programme is supported by a website…
 
www.ourmemories.org.uk.
 
It offers free access to a host of project ideas for primary schools as well as easy to sing WW1 medleys, specially commissioned by the charity for children and older people to sing together. The website also gives details of the unique 30 minute Armistice Cantata production, written by the children from Thornhill Primary School, Cardiff and available for all schools to access.
 
“We have already been inundated by requests from schools, museums and libraries to take part,“ said Grenville Jones.
 
The WW1 Goldies programme is supported by a number of organisations including Heritage Lottery England and Wales, the Garfield Weston Foundation the Royal British Legion and the Moondance Foundation in Wales.
 
 
For more details contact grenville@ourmemories.org.uk
 
ENDS
 
Images attached show school children taking part in past events
 
Grenville’s mobile is 0777 828 2934

www.golden-oldies.org.uk

PRESS RELEASE
Friday, November 4th, 2016

​A schools inter-generational project from the Golden-Oldies charity, commemorating the first two years of WW1 has been recognised by a prestigious national organisation. 

The Remember WW1 awards celebrated the huge effort made throughout the UK by individuals and groups to commemorate WW1 and to give back something to their communities. Hundreds of organisations were nominated for 7 categories in the awards listing. One of these was for schools and young people. 

The founder of Golden-Oldies, Grenville Jones attended a presentation ceremony at the Army and Navy Club in Pall Mall on Wednesday of this week, November 2 to receive a certificate as an award finalist. 

The project, funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund First World War grant engaged with over 60 primary schools across the South West with many events and commemorations.  

The certificate was presented by Sir Eric Pickles.  

‘i congratulate all the entrants from across the UK for their endeavour and commitment to ensuring that those who had served in the Great War are remembered with pride.' 
​
The Goldies Charity will soon launch its next WW1 project which will put the spotlight on the final two years of WW1 and will be open to all primary schools across the UK. For full details see www.ourmemories.org.uk.
 
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Image shows the certificate
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones – 07778 282934


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