A specially written commonwealth affirmation and messages of support from Her Majesty The Queen and Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma were read by members of Reepham High School & College School Council, while Bishop Tony Foottit said a prayer at a ceremony in Reepham’s Market Place.
 
The students attending were Ruby Dodden, Jenny Garrod, Libby Fox and Ross Walters, accompanied by School Council co-ordinator Linda Fuller and head teacher Mark Farrar.
 
Organised by Reepham Town Council, the Commonwealth flag was raised on St Michael’s church tower at 10 am by churchwarden David Cleall. It remained in situ for 24 hours, being lowered at the same time the following day.
 
Meanwhile, several Year 8 RHSC students attended the annual Commonwealth Observance Day at Westminster Abbey on 9 March in the presence of the Queen.
 
The school has been fortunate to have received tickets for the past four years to this event, which is attended by people from all 53 Commonwealth countries.
 
There were contributions from a number of notable speakers, including Kailash Satyarthi, winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, and Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the first women Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament.
 
There were also performances by the Commonwealth Festival Choir and Orchestra, DanceDigital, the poet/singer-songwriter Sarah Ndagire, the Choir of Westminster Abbey and Soweto musicians, The Soil.
 
The Abbey was filled with the Commonwealth countries’ flag-bearers, diplomats, performers and schoolchildren. The celebration was also attended by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
 
See our earlier news story:

• Reepham to ‘Fly a Flag for the Commonwealth’