Students from Coleg Gwent joined The Duke of Edinburgh in celebrating Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey.
On Monday March 11, seven Independent Living Skills students from Coleg Gwent’s Crosskeys Campus joined His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to mark Commonwealth Day in Westminster Abbey.
The students were amongst the 1,000 young people present at the Observance, which launched the 2013 Commonwealth theme ‘Opportunity through Enterprise’.
Each of the young people present gained their place because of their involvement in enterprise. Pupils from Coleg Gwent won their tickets by taking part in this year’s Commonwealth Essay Competition. Run by the Royal Commonwealth Society in partnership with Cambridge University Press, this year’s competition focuses on enterprise. Through the competition, Coleg Gwent explored issues such as innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Richard Branson and acclaimed ‘Young Global Leader’ Ricken Patel spoke at the Observance, Britain’s largest annual inter-faith gathering.
Award-winning soul singer Beverley Knight, indie-rock favourites The Noisettes also performed to the assembled 2,000 guests, which included Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma, The Rt Hon The Lord Howell of Guilford and Commonwealth High Commissioners.
Mike Lake, Director of the Royal Commonwealth Society, said:
“We are thrilled that students from Coleg Gwent could join the Commonwealth Day celebrations at Westminster Abbey. Having been introduced to the enterprise theme through the Commonwealth Essay Competition, it was wonderful to then see the students celebrating innovation and entrepreneurship alongside their peers from across the UK and Commonwealth.”
Coleg Gwent Independent Living Skills tutor Victoria English, said: “We are thrilled to have represented Coleg Gwent and to have been invited to such a prestigious event.
“The students have really enjoyed participating in enterprise activities and writing about them for the competition.”
The students also visited the Natural History Museum and other London sights.