Basildon and the Somme

Volunteers from Basildon Heritage Group, people from the local community and school children worked together to examine the impact of the First World War on Basildon. Using connections within Basildon’s twin towns of Meaux in France and Heiligenhaus in Germany, the project explored the similarities and differences between life in Basildon and those towns during the war.

Volunteers researched people from the three towns who lost their lives during the war and created memorial plaques for each town. Students from Lee Chapel Primary School worked with a German folk band to create a musical piece about life in the trenches. School children from the towns participated in research visits in France and exhibitions were held in all three towns.

Throughout the project, Basildon Heritage Group maintained a strong social media presence and created a blog and a film. A final exhibition was held at Wat Tyler Country Park to share the project findings more widely.