'Taste The Trench' event took place on the 25th August 2018 as part of GlosReto Weekend.
Our WW1 Part was set up outside Gloucester Shirehall on Lower Westgate Street with aims to:
Raise donations for the 'Combat Stress' Veteran's Mental Health Charity
We managed to raise a total of £271.28 from the Raffle, Poppy Remembrance Garden and the Combat Stress Information Table
Follow a theme of the Centenary Commemorations of WW1 2018
To strengthen networks with local military units, their families and GL3HUB Services
Promote learning impacts of WW1
To promote the profile and support that GL3HUB can offer communities in the Local Innsworth and Churchdown estates
The 'Taste The Trench' set of displays and fundraising raised £270 for 'Combat Stress'.
Funding will be going to support the Veterans to access mental health support.
Over 200 Hours of Volunteer time was building the Trench and Artwork for the Graffiti Wall.
The ‘Taste The Trench’ is a mobile, wooden trench, the majority of which was made from donations of wood materials from 'Cheltenham Fencing’. Other donations came from International Plywood Ltd (Innsworth Industrial estate).
Graham and Alex, from Cheltenham Fencing, were extremely helpful in supporting this 'Taste The Trench’ concept with donations of fence panels, pallets and posts for the ‘mock barbed wire'.
Pictures on this page show the Trench, which was adapted to recreate the type of fortified trenches that Soldiers of Gloucestershire may have fought in 1914-1918.
The 'No Man’s Land' Graffiti Wall was jointly decorated by a local artist Tim, veterans from ‘Alabare’ and the local youth group from the GL3HUB Community Centre. Eight 8x4 foot Plywood Sheets were donated by International Plywood Ltd based in Innsworth Industrial Estate (see attached pictures).
Handmade Poppies were made by Young Children from the GL3HUB Youth Club, which were bought via donations and attached with messages, planted in front of the Graffiti Wall.
Also, a Senior Citizen who had been attending the Age UK service at the GL3HUB Community Centre made and decorated nearly 80 Love Hearts with these too being exchanged for donations and people could hang them on a ‘Burnt Tree’. The ‘Burnt Tree’ symbolises the trees shredded by shell fire in ‘No Man’s Land’ between the Trenches.
Additionally, one of our volunteers Lynne supported children in a colouring competition with a selected WW1 colouring sheets will be added to the 'GLOS100' WW1 Exhebition to be held at the Guildhall Gallery 6th-22nd September.
A Medal Hunt was organised for Children that included going to shops in Lower Westgate Street (link to the Medal Hunt forms).
Four winners of the Medal Hunt were selected to have Miniature WW1 and Victoria Cross medals.
Year 7 & 8 Pupils from Chosen Hill School produced a ‘Weeping Poppy Sculpture’ with WW1 Poems composed by the pupils, which were laid down the steps of Gloucester Shirehall.
Mr Page and Mr Ridler (Gloucester WW1 Memorabilia Collector @ Upstairs Downstairs near the Gloucester Quays) both brought WW1 Uniforms and Memorabilia for people to chat to and learn about the life of those in the Great War. Especially Mr Page (teacher from Parton Mannor Junior School) who dressed in full French WW1 Uniform.
Additionally, friends of Mr Mark Partridge attended with three friends who dressed in WW1 Uniforms and had a also display of a great selection of equipment from the Royal Flying Corps.
The next GLOS100 event is planned to display the 'No Man's Land' Graffiti Wall and other WW1 linked Art at the Gloucester Guildhall 6th-22nd September 2018.
Talks on the Impacts of WW1 will take place on Saturday 22nd September 10.00-12.00 at the Guildhall, Gloucester.
"On behalf of the GL3 Community HUB, the general public, the Veterans and some very generous local businesses, I would like to say ‘thank you’ to all the Companies and Individuals for their contributions, good spirit and good humour!" - Chris Auker-Howlett
Finally, a tremendous 'Thank You' goes to all the Volunteers who made this day such a success! We could not have achieved any of this without their support in helping to transport, assemble, disasseble and manning the event tents, stalls & Trench.