Students from Farnborough have recently come together with students from The Wavell School and a group at the West End Centre in an exciting project to celebrate the 200 year relationship between the Gurkhas and the British Army. They took a leading role in developing a public exhibition called The Gurkha Connection and produced a commemorative book to provide an insight into the local community. The project provided the opportunity for students to develop a variety of skills and knowledge, including how to conduct interviews and collect personal accounts, take photographs learning from a professional photographer and collating research about the background of the regiment. Visits to The Gurkha Museum in Winchester and Aldershot Military Museum gave the groups a cultural briefing and a great starting point for their own research.  

Diana Laffin, Subject Tutor for history explained, “This is a fantastic project for our students who have learnt about the proud history of the Gurkhas and their role in the British Army, as well as gaining invaluable skills in visual imagery, presentation and teamwork.” Many history students took part in the project, some of which have families in the armed forces, which was a great way to combine their studies and community lives.

The exhibition is now complete and on show at the Aldershot Military Museum until Sunday 4 June 2017.

The Gurkha Connection project was funded by The Armed Forces Community Covenant and coordinated by the Better Life Chances team at Hampshire Cultural Trust.