Educational and Community Programme

Peter Dolby has been busy over the winter with two talks to local community groups; Links at Leigh Road Baptist Church and Age Concern in Westcliff.

There was also a first when Peter was invited to talk at the Royal Corinthian YC in Burnham.
 

Peter’s talk is followed by lunch and many questions from RCYC members

Joined by Anne who ‘manned’ the sales table and took photographs the feedback from members was excellent. There was genuine interest of the Endeavour story and many favourable comments on the quality of the slides used during the presentation. The talk was followed with lunch during which many more questions were asked. A donation of £125 and sales in excess of £130 helped to make it a memorable occasion for the Trust. We are delighted to have accepted the RCYC’s invitation to attend their pontoon party in September. This will give us a further opportunity to tell the Endeavour story, raise funds and recruit new members.

Four further talks are in the diary but if any member has a contact with a local group who would benefit from the talk please contact Peter.

Peter was delighted to have been invited to West Leigh Infant School in January. Four classes, Seahorses, Barnacles, Clams and Lobsters learnt about shrimp and cockle fishing! Talking to each class of five and six year old children for fifteen minutes was followed by five minutes of searching questions. “Was I in the war?” was one Peter won’t forget! “Why are boats called 'she'?” was another good one. All in all a wonderful experience talking with young children about a part of their local history. This surely is a wonderful way of helping to keep this part of Leigh’s story of its participation in WWII surviving through the generations. Peter has now talked at Infant, Junior, Primary and Secondary schools and we plan to write to all local schools again in the near future.

Peter has been invited back to talk at Springfield Primary School in Chelmsford later this year and is arranging a similar return to Cedar Hall Special School in Thundersley.