Sacred Heart Primary School remembers war heroes in mural

A poignant commemorative mural has been created at Sacred Heart RC Primary School in Westhoughton as Remembrance Day approaches honouring World War One and World War Two local heroes.

Children have worked with artist ASKE to create the striking artwork and also a filmmaker as part of a project entitled ‘Called to Greatness’.

Pupils aged 5-11 undertook research with their findings illustrated in the mural and the film.

Filmmaker Dan Tew put together a short film commemorating the heroes of the community who fought in the World Wars.

Pupils, all members of the Pupil Parliament, were said to be inspired by the bravery and sacrifices of the heroes of the school community and who served in the wars.

Within the film pupils who had great grandparents who fought in wars shared the names of their relatives and spoke briefly about their history.

Great-grandfather, Percy Reeve (Image: Sacred Heart Primary School)Their artwork and film is said to capture not only the essence of the historical events but also the spirit of unity and resilience that the community holds dear.

The art mural painted by the artist AKSE features two portraits of two war heroes.

One is of a great-grandfather, Percy Reeve, who was already a serving soldier when the war broke out, one of his duties was as a guard outside Buckingham Palace, and during the war mainly served in North Africa as well as Germany.

In the film his great granddaughter, Marina a reception pupil features with other classmates to discuss his history.

He was one of only a handful from his regiment to come home. 

Another hero was great-grandad Leonard Featherston who served in Italy and in North Africa with the Desert Rats.

Year one pupil, Jack, spoke about his great grandads history in the short film.

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Great Grandad Len (Image: Sacred Heart Primary School)Their pictures have now been painted on one of school walls with the quote ‘Called to Greatness’.

Bernie Furey, Strategic Director of Teach Heart Alliance, said: “What is most inspiring about this project is the level of engagement it has sparked within the young pupils.

“Their involvement in researching, designing, and creating the film and mural only deepened their understanding of history but also instilled a sense of pride in our shared heritage.

“It is a wonderful testament to the power of art education in fostering empathy, historical awareness, and community spirit.

“The mural, now a focal point of our school, has already drawn significant attention from residents, passers-by, and our families.

“Its impact has been so profound that we would love to share it with the wider community to celebrate the hard work, creativity, and dedication of these young pupils.

“The project was part of a ‘Forgotten Heroes’ project with the Comino Foundation and Falinge Park High school.

“The film is inspirational and is something that should be shared with many not just our local community.

“The children aged 5-11 are proud of their work and proud of the heroes that they uncovered.”

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