Bassetlaw: School kids learn about wounded soldiers at museum

To coincide with the ‘Get Well Soon’ World War One exhibition, Help for Heroes hosted a special event to educate pupils on how injured heroes cope with missing limbs and sight problems.

The youngsters were set activities at Bassetlaw Museum on Grove Street, Retford, so they could experience what life would be like as a wounded soldier.

Tony Eaton, regional manager at Help for Heroes said:”There were practical challenges for the kids and teachers which on the face of it seemed simple tasks. These turned out not to be so simple when they were put in the same situation as some of the wounded and sick service personnel.”

Pupils were also told about the changes in prosthetics and rehabilitation from World War one to now.

A spokesman for Bassetlaw Museum said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to the schools that took the time out of their busy schedules to come and join us and to the Help for Heroes team for giving their time. A lot of the work here at the museum is dealing with events that happened a long time ago, so it is great to have the opportunity to look back and see how situations have evolved and how history is being made today.”

‘Get Well Soon’ runs until February 2016 and focuses on local wounded soldiers and hospitals.

Help for Heroes estimate that of the 220,560 individuals deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001 and 2014, up to 75,000 servicemen and women may need their support in the future.