Get to know our Runnymede Student Volunteer Guides

Did you know Commonwealth War Graves runs a Student Volunteer Guides programme? Get to know this year’s wave of volunteers working at the Runnymede Memorial here.

Commonwealth War Graves Student Volunteer Guides

Who are Commonwealth War Graves Student Volunteer Guides?

Image: Student Volunteer Guides Amy and Tilly greeting visitors to the Runnymede Memorial

The Student Volunteer Guides are exactly that: university students volunteering their time to be Guides at Commonwealth War Graves sites in the UK.

It’s different from our CWGF Guides Programme insofar as these are all university students as they are volunteers, part-timers, and not paid, like the CWGF guides. It’s a purely volunteer programme!

Stationed at the Runnymede Memorial, which commemorates over 20,000 Commonwealth Second World War airmen with no known grave, the Student Guides will be on hand to tell you more info on the memorial, the stories of the men it commemorates, and any other questions you might have.

Introducing the Runnymede Student Volunteer Guides

We chatted with our Student Volunteer Guides working at Runnymede this year to get to know them a little better.

Tilly

During my time volunteering for the Commonwealth War Graves, I have had the chance to interact with members of the public of all ages. 

This has been a particularly fulfilling part of the role, as the purpose of sights such as the Runnymede Memorial is to commemorate the enduring sacrifices made by these servicemen and women, the importance of which can be remembered decades on from their death. 

A gentleman on one of my tours commented that it was refreshing to see the younger generation taking part in roles such as this, which reaffirmed my decision to be a volunteer.

Inviting family members to tours has been a way in which I can share my passion for history with those closest to me, and they have been able to take away important stories and information which has enriched their understanding of the time period. 

I take great satisfaction in volunteering and informing others, and the proximity of the site to my university makes history more accessible and engaging for me and my peers. 

As I enter my second year, I hope to continue volunteering and contributing in the same way, it has been and continues to be a rewarding experience, and I encourage others to explore similar opportunities!

Amy

My name is Amy and I am studying BA History at Royal Holloway University of London.

I have always had a strong passion towards history throughout my life from being fascinated by the ancient Egyptians in primary school, to completing an A-Level in history when I thought I wanted to pursue a degree in science! 

I had heard about the opportunity to volunteer for Commonwealth War Graves during one of my lectures and my interest was further piqued after learning about the incredible work they did to share the stories of those who bravely fought and died in battle.

After speaking to my dad about the opportunity, he informed me that my great-great-grandfather was buried in a CWGC site in Ypres and that solidified my need to volunteer. 

As a volunteer, I was most looking forward to being part of this amazing work and being one of those people responsible for keeping the stories alive and continuing to share with others. 

Providing tours around the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial alongside my fellow student volunteers has been so fulfilling and has further cemented my love for not only history but also my ability to continue to share my knowledge and continue the legacy of many people who have come before us.

Image: Amy and Tilly sharing more stories of the airmen and women commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial

Pavandeep

Hi there! My name is Pavandeep Singh Javanda, and I study History, Politics, and International Relations at Royal Holloway, University of London. I volunteered for Commonwealth War Graves since it is vital that the history of our soldiers is remembered and commemorated regarding the First and Second world wars. 

I believe that the remembrance of our warriors from the world shouldn't be just commemorated only for a day, but every day. I got interested into history through video games, I learnt so much from it that I wanted to pursue it in greater depth academically. 

As I study History, I want to further explore the ways we can research into the lives of the fallen as well as their history, especially with websites that store information about them, so we can add more information as it unravels. 

James

Image: James, one of our Volunteer Student Guides, at Runnymede

My name is James Ireland and I am currently a student volunteer for Commonwealth War Graves, more specifically for the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial which is nearby to Royal Holloway University where I am doing my undergraduate degree in History. 

What attracted me to this role was the opportunity, as someone with a big interest in military history, to research the real lives and experiences of soldiers and, more importantly, to share and celebrate their stories with visitors of the site.

So far it has been a great experience. As someone who has always had a fear of public speaking, hosting tours has been a great form of personal development and I have found that I am generally more confident as a person thanks to the volunteering. 

Commonwealth War Graves has been more than supportive every step of the way, giving us the flexibility to choose when to do our tours and also giving us opportunities to learn more about the site and shadow tours from experienced volunteers. Another aspect of the role which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed was the experience of researching and sharing the stories of soldiers. 

It is a truly rewarding experience not only to interact with the history and learn more about a real person and their acts of bravery but even more so to share these amazing stories, some of which may have never been told before, to other people, whether that be in person through tours or on For Evermore, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission stories portal.

Demi

Hi! My name is Demi, and I am now a second-year history student at Royal Holloway, University of London. 

I originally volunteered for the CWGC as my plan for after my degree is to go into history conservation. However, one of my favourite aspects of history is military history – particularly in the 20th century. 

I found out about this opportunity from my tutor, who is a professor of WWI history, through my university, as they give many opportunities like this to get involved with the community and your chosen degree. 

The reason why I wanted to volunteer and join this commission was because of my passion for history, particularly military history, but also as I see history as a story that is continually added onto and that needs to be told to connect people to their past and give a voice to those who would be otherwise forgotten, if not for Commonwealth War Graves.

My favourite part of this role and why I look forward to volunteering is because I get the opportunity to retell these stories to the public, as the majority of the people commemorated just have their names in stone and I would like to be able to tell these stories and give the commemorated the acknowledgement and appreciation they deserve.

Marcus

Image: Marcus hard at work at the Runnymede Memorial

Hello, my name is Marcus and I am a History and Politics student going into my second year at Royal Holloway. 

History has always been a subject that fascinated me from a young age, from watching “Horrible Histories” as a child I loved learning about all these different stories and people of the past whose lives help shaped the world in which we live today.

I decided to volunteer for Commonwealth War Graves because it sounded really interesting, and I believe it’s important to keep these stories alive by sharing them. 

I found out about the Student Volunteer Guides Programme through an email and thought it would be really good to get involved. 

I’m so glad I did as I got to research and deliver interesting tours to people and work with some fantastic people along the way. It’s also a great thing to help with your confidence in public speaking and to put on your CV.

Visit Runnymede and our Student Volunteer Guides

We'll be sharing more content from the Runnymede Guides during their time with us.

To meet them in person, visit the Runnymede Memorial. 

See the latest Commonwealth War Graves talks & tours dates to plan your trip.