On the 11th hour on the 11th day, Samworth Church Academy in Mansfield held a Remembrance Service and planted a poppy field with personal messages to remember the sacrifices made by all who have been involved in conflict.

Students planted a poppy field in front of the Academy with messages of peace, which greeted the school children as they arrived in the morning.

Students from the Samworth Church Academy Cadets (Combined Cadet Force) help to plant the poppy field.

Renatas Ovcinikovas, a year 11 student and cadet, said: “I think the poppy display in front of the Academy is good to remind people of the sacrifice that others have made.”

Faith Darby, a year 10 student and also a member of the cadets agreed: “I thought it was very good to make people think about the wars and what soldiers have done for us in those wars. I enjoyed showing my appreciation for what they have done.”

Michael Bullett, chaplain at Samworth Church Academy said that students have been involved in the lead up to the ceremony and made their own contributions to the poppy field.

“It is important that the students are involved in the ceremony rather than just spectators. On the lead up to the day they have been reflecting on the sacrifice and history and have written messages of peace that we have displayed publically in front of the school. I have been very conscious of actively trying to get students to see the cost of the sacrifice that soldiers have made for us.”

Chairman of governors and president of the Farnsfield branch of the Royal British Legion Farnsfield, Mr Nick Linney, said that it was more important than ever to ask people to stop and consider the conflicts of the past and the sacrifices made by others to enable our peaceful future.

He said: “I think that continuing to be a better place or a better country has to include an awareness of the past and a feeling for past struggles, as well as past achievements. It has been a real pleasure seeing the students at The Samworth Church Academy take on board Remembrance and get something from it and take their place as future baton carriers of the story of where we came from – they don’t need much persuasion but they do need leadership to help discover what has gone before, both good and bad.

“In my view, everything, globally, should stop at the 11th hour of the 11th day of November not only to remember but also to reflect and think of all loss of life from any nation in any conflict and just to re affirm to oneself that individuals must do whatever is possible to stop future conflicts. It is not practical for everything to stop but everything that can stop, should stop, for just two minutes a year – the world over.”