A GROUP of students from Marsden Heights community College have returned from a life-changing trip to the World War One battlefield sites in Belgium.

The five girls from Year nine were selected to take part in a year-long project based around the war, which involves researching the local community connections.

As part of the project the students, along with representatives from the British Legion and Brierfield Action in the Community and the school, went on a four day trip to Belgium.

During the trip they visited Popperinge where allied soldiers were executed, a German cemetery and Welsh memorial and Tyne Cot cemetery which is the largest Commonwealth cemetery from any war.

The group also visited Menin Gate as well as visiting the town of Albert, which was the main town behind the lines for the allies nearest to the 1916 Somme battlefields.

Other highlights included trips to the Ulster Memorial Tower, Thieperval Memorial which is dedicated to the missing of the Somme, Vimy Ridge memorial and restored trenches.

The World War One Project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and The Armed Forces Community Covenant grant is part of Project Pride, a three year project aimed at bringing young people in Brierfield and Reedley together.Project Pride is funded by the Big Lottery Reaching Comm-unities Fund and is a partnership between Brierfield Action in the Community and Participation Works.

Lynne Mitchell, from Brierfield Action in the Community, said: “The girls had a fantastic time and came away having learnt a lot about World War One.

“I think it was a life-changing experience for them which they will keep with them forever.”

.The group has been meeting once a week after school since July to discuss what they want to focus the project around.

So far during the group has been researching local community connections to World War One to raise the awareness of the war amongst young people and the community. They have been collecting personal stories which are linked to the town and learning about the impact it had on their culture, families and community.

Lynne added: “On August 4 we held a community event where we had enjoyed war time songs and the Imam of a local mosque came out and said some prayers.

“Then in september we had a visit from the travelling military museum at Jamia Mosque Sultania and Education Centre.

“We have a number of other projects coming up including a trip to London and Brighton to visit a Muslim World War One cemetery.”