Youngsters and veterans with the Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Denise Joy. Picture: Matthew Walker

by Angela Cole

Stories of wartime experiences will live on for generations to come, thanks to a project which brought today’s teenagers and war veterans together.

The Bridging Gaps - Their Past, Your Future project with Maidstone Museum gave seven teenagers from schools across Maidstone the chance to record radio interviews with the Gurkhas community and war veterans.

Two of the Gurkha participants are Madan Kumar Gurung and Badri Kumar Rai from the Gurkha engineer regiments, and 94-year-old Albert Bennett, who served with the 155 Spitfire Squadron during the Second World War.

British history

Gregg Harfleet, from Oakwood Park Grammar School, who was one of the students involved, said: “I enjoy history, and want to take it at GCSE, so I wanted to learn more about Britain’s history.

“I didn’t really know much about the Gurkhas and what they did for our country during the wars. Now I understand what a big part they played and the sacrifices they made for us and their courage and their loyalty.”

He said Mr Bennett's experiences of trying to release some people from a jail in Asia had made a big impression on him.

Proud moment

Hayley McMechan, audience development manager, said: “This project has worked extremely well; it is the second audio project we have run with local teenagers after the success of our Inside Out project last year. The students have come from different schools but have got to know each other and worked extremely well together.”

She added: “It was a very proud moment for me when they finally made the recordings with the veterans and did such a professional job of it. These stories will now last in the museum collections forever and shortened versions will be available in the museum and on the website for the public to enjoy.”

There was a launch night for the event on Thursday , attended by the Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Denise Joy, veterans, the students and their families at the museum.

The students who took part were: The teenagers involved were: Gregg Harfleet, 13, Lydia Redman, 15, Emily Rabbatts, 18, Bryony Andrews, 15, Thomas Metalle, 14, Ryan Penny, 15 and Sam Slaughter, 15.

The project was funded by the Big Lottery Fund and supported by the Museums Libraries and Archives Council.