Posted 18 January 2018 - 11:42
Posted 18 January 2018 - 11:42
News
Competition brings Mary Seacole legacy to primary pupils
Children at south London schools will create a piece of work for Mary Seacole Trust competition, and winners will become its first young ambassadors
A competition that encourages children to learn about nursing icon Mary Seacole by identifying her modern-day equivalents has been launched.
South London. Picture: Shutterstock
Year 5 and 6 pupils at schools in south London will research the life of the nurse, who cared for soldiers in the Crimean War. They will then produce a piece of work about someone from their own time that they feel most closely embodies her values and qualities.
Young ambassadors
The stories, poems, videos, songs and drawings produced will then be judged and the winners will become the first young Seacole ambassadors, with the task of promoting Ms Seacole’s legacy to future generations.
The competition was set up by the Mary Seacole Trust, the organisation that led the campaign for the memorial statue of the Jamaican-born nurse, unveiled in London in 2016.
Trust chair Trevor Sterling said: ‘Mary Seacole overcame many obstacles to reach her goals in terms of caring for the men fighting in the Crimea.
‘We are working with schools to ensure that as many children as possible are given the opportunity to take part.
‘The competition is primarily aimed at children in Lambeth and Southwark, who are closest to the statue of Mary, which sits in the grounds of St Thomas’ Hospital. However, we hope to roll it out more widely in the future.’
The children whose entries are shortlisted will attend a reception at the House of Lords in the spring, where the winners will be announced.
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