A group of Independent Living Skills (ILS) students and staff from Coleg Gwent’s Crosskeys campus have attended the annual Commonwealth Carol Service at Trafalgar Square.
The invitation to attend the service followed the group’s recent visit to the Royal Commonwealth Service headquarters in London to meet The Queen after their work was chosen to be included in a special jubilee time capsule.
A video entry to the Royal Commonwealth Society’s Jubilee Time Capsule (JTC) project recorded by the Coleg Gwent students was chosen from more than 80,000 entries bidding to be part of the world’s biggest global digital archive of stories and memories covering each day of The Queen’s 60 year reign.
Victoria English, Independent Living Skills tutor at Coleg Gwent said: “The students had an amazing day in London. The Carol Service was simply wonderful. I am so happy that we had the opportunity to go along and enjoy the evening. It was a truly magical experience and the perfect way to end a great year for ILS.”
The candle-lit service included a mix of carols, performances and readings and included performances by the Commonwealth Youth Choir, readings by Paralympic athlete Stephanie Reid and Commonwealth Secretary-General HE Kamalesh Sharma. The address was given by former prime minister The Rt Hon Sir John Major KG CH, chairman of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust.
As an added bonus to the trip, the group of 10 students were invited to take a private tour of Harrods department store where they sampled London’s finest truffles, Arabic coffee and visited the pet spa kingdom, Christmas shop and tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales.