Pupils in Commonwealth celebration

Pupils from ten primary schools attended a day of workshops in the Centre of Excellence for Creative Arts (CECA) in King Oswy Drive and took part in activities such as African drumming, Bollywood-style dancing, Sri Lankan calligraphy and tasting food from a variety of Commonwealth countries.

Pupils take part in a drumming workshop

The event which coincided with the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London, was organised by Hartlepool Borough Council after the Lord Lieutenant of County Durham was asked by Buckingham Palace to shape a programme of activities specifically for the area which would help to recognise the importance of the Commonwealth and its role as a meeting of equal nations.

Jane Kashouris, Teaching and Learning Advisor (Primary) with Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “I’d like to thank all of the schools which supported the event but special praise should go to the pupils themselves who attended and showed great enthusiasm and willingness to learn more about the Commonwealth and its member countries.”

The Queen is the Head of the Commonwealth which has 53 member countries that span the globe.

Jane added: “The children who attended the event had great fun and, hopefully, they will have taken away much greater awareness and understanding of the diverse group of nations that makes up the Commonwealth.”

The day after the CECA event, schoolchildren from Hartlepool joined hundreds of others from across the North-East to attend a special service in Durham Cathedral.

The parade arrives at Durham Cathedral

In total, 1,400 children paraded through the city centre with home-made flags and then joined invited VIPs, including Hartlepool Mayor Councillor Paul Beck and Hartlepool Borough Council Chief Executive Gill Alexander, at a musical celebration of the Commonwealth and its values.