The Head of Art and pupils from Hampton School were invited to Buckingham Palace to take part in the Never Such Innocence (NSI) Centenary Finale on Wednesday 7 November. The event was hosted by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and Lady Lucy French, who started the charity in 2014.

Old Hamptonian Amirzan Jeyakumar (2014 winner) and current pupil Cameron Hair (2016/17 winner) were in attendance at the event, which was held to celebrate the NSI Charity’s promotion of the Arts in their Education Programme.

Never Such Innocence launched its Poetry and Art Competition in 2014. Aimed at young people aged 11 to 16, entrants chose a topic related to the First World War and produced either a piece of art or wrote a poem inspired by what they had learned. Committed to educating children about the war and its continuing impact on our lives today, NSI has created a lasting legacy to remember the men and women of the Great War. The Centenary finale at Buckingham Palace saw children from the last four years come together and reflect on the Centenary and the inspirational descendants the First World War has given us.

Fifth Year pupil Cameron Hair thoroughly enjoyed his day at Buckingham Palace and was honoured to see his artwork published in the Never Such Innocence commemorative book:

It was such an honour to have my art recognised for the remembrance of soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War, as well as being acknowledged by the charity Never Such Innocence.

Mrs Karen Williams, Head of Art, who also attended the reception said:

It was an amazing event that the pupils from Hampton will remember for the rest of their lives. It was incredibly inspiring to see such all-round creativity in the young people who took part in the competitions, using Art to express their ideas and responses.

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