Grove Academy pupils mixed with royalty this week as they took part in a special event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
Students from the Broughty Ferry school gave a presentation to the Duchess of Cornwall at the annual Anne Frank Trust’s fundraising lunch in London.
The pupils told us how they shared with the Duchess their statements of hope for the world, as well as their stories and experiences of prejudice and discrimination.
Among those representing Grove were S3 pupils Charlotte Rome, Iris Nicoll, Amelia Goodfellow, Calum Wardlaw and Finlay Ross.
After a wonderful and moving presentation, our Young Ambassadors get a chance to talk with HRH about the work they have done and why #HolocaustMemorialDay is so important#AnneFrankOneDay @ClarenceHouse
@ClarenceHouse@BrinsworthAcad1, @OaksParkHighSch and @Grove_Academy pic.twitter.com/l85jT09vo8
— Anne Frank Trust (@AnneFrankTrust) January 20, 2022
Charlotte said: “When it came to actual event, we had a room with about 70 guests and we all had to do our bit of the presentation along with the other schools.
“We all had a couple of lines to say about what we had been doing in school (learning about discrimination).
“And Iris presented the Duchess with a copy Anne Frank’s diary.”
“We need to learn from the past”
Guests at the event included BBC presenter Jo Coburn and actress Joanna Lumley.
But it was honorary president Eva Schloss MBE – a survivor of Auschwitz and the step- sister of Anne Frank – who the pupils were inspired by the most.
Finlay said: “The number of people who have been through that experience is dwindling so we need to learn from these people whilst they are still alive.
“We need to learn from the past”.
Amelia added: “It was really cool to be in the same room as all these high profile people who had come to such a special event to hear these stories.”
Anne Frank ambassadors
The pupils are among the charity’s Anne Frank ambassadors, trained to “amplify Anne’s message of social justice and equality for all”.
Charlotte said: “The two-day course that we did with the Anne Frank Trust was amazing, it was so much fun.
“You were learning and finding out new ways of how speak and talk but it was done in a in way.”
Dr Adam Bisset, principal teacher of religious, moral and philosophical education at the Ferry school added: “Grove Academy’s participation in projects led by the Anne Frank Trust over the past five years has proved to be valuable and inspiring and we commend their work and their values.”
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 https://t.co/92wN9s4RZY
— Grove Academy (@Grove_Academy) January 20, 2022
The event was held to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and the 75th anniversary of the publication of Anne Frank’s diary.
Holocaust Memorial Day is a national commemoration day in the United Kingdom dedicated to the remembrance of the Jews and others who suffered in the Holocaust, under Nazi persecution.
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