The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) are offering Scout groups the opportunity to join them for a talk about their organisation and tours of various sites in Hampshire. They can cater for all age ranges and also tailor talks to your preferred duration (i.e. from 30 minutes up to 1 hour and 30 minutes). In terms of the content of the talks, please see below a detailed talk description, but bear in mind this will be watered down somewhat to suit the age of the audience its being delivered to:
The CWGC – This presentation provides an overview of our organisation from past to present with reference to the sites and casualties we care for. It will begin by discussing the conception of the CWGC by our founder and the principles put into place at that time that continues to define what we do and how we do it. To illustrates this, we will then show you the sites we care for in the UK and around the world and what to look for when visiting them. A discussion of the challenges we face and the work we do today will then follow, before the presentation is rounded off with a personal story tailored to your group.
They can also offer remembrance themed talks given that is only a few months away.
In terms of tours, the site would be decided on a case by case basis. They would try to find a suitable site/cemetery close to the Scout group so that they can introduce or build on any local history knowledge. The duration would be a bit longer (so from 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes) with lots of exciting activities. As with the talks, this would be negotiated with the group based on logistics and the site chosen. Some of the CWGC's larger sites in Hampshire that would be ideal for tours include: Portsmouth Naval Memorial | Explore Great Britain (cwgc.org)or Hollybrook Memorial | Explore Great Britain (cwgc.org) or Brockenhurst (St. Nicholas) Churchyard | Cemetery Details | CWGC
Finally, their volunteer speakers and guides are based across Hampshire so there would be no area too difficult to cover. Talks/tours can be booked thought the booking page on their website Book a Talk: Commonwealth War Stories | CWGC
