A FOOTBALL match has taken place to mark the graduation of students from two Basildon schools as part of the 'Peace Field Initiative'.

In 2017 Woodlands School in Basildon and Beauchamps School in Wickford signed up to the National Children's Football Alliance "Peace Field Initiative".

The aim of the initiative is to highlight the need for peace education and reconciliation in times of conflict.

The school decided that each year on the International Day of Peace on 21 September they would play a friendly game to pledge their continued support.

Unfortunately, the game in 2020 was postponed due to the pandemic but the schools and the Basildon Borough Twinning Association were determined that the players who had been involved for the past four years should be given the opportunity to play one last game before they moved on to pastures new as they are all now in Year 11.

In the nick of time Woodlands hosted the Peace Game and invited their counterparts from Beauchamps High School to play for one last time.

The themes for the game this year were the "Kick it Out" campaign highlighting the need to stop online abuse and tackling racism and discrimination in sport. The second theme was "Remembering Srebrenica". The theme here is also one of tackling hatred. Two players, one from each school, came together to highlight the aim of the game.

Woodlands won the game 4-1 but it was Peace Education who were the true winners.

Councillor Kevin Blake refereed the game.