Churchill legacy is life-changing

Tony Young meets the Queen

A RETIRED engineer from Shaw attended a special event at the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill — a man whose legacy gave him the “opportunity of a lifetime”.

Tony Young was at Sir Winston’s birthplace of Blenheim Palace, to mark the 50th anniversary of his living legacy — The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust (WCMT), and 50 years since his passing.

Courtesy of the WCMT, Mr Young went on a travelling fellowship in 1969 to the USA and Canada to investigate urban public transport.

Since then he has worked on bus and tram projects in Greater Manchester including Phase 1 of Metrolink, inspired by systems he visited in North America.

Mr Young said: “The 50th anniversary celebration at Blenheim Palace was an exciting day at a marvellous venue.

“I was asked to make a short presentation about my fellowship, including the way Metrolink has expanded to become the largest tram network in Britain.

“The day ended with an air display by a Spitfire and Beating Retreat by the British Imperial Military Band.”

He added: “I strongly recommend anyone who wants to learn abroad to apply for a Churchill Travelling Fellowship. It really is the opportunity of a lifetime”.

Over 1,000 fellows and their guests, from every decade since 1965 attended the day, which was hosted by the Duke of Marlborough’s sister — Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, a cousin of Sir Winston, and a member of the WCMT Advisory Council.

Members of the Churchill family, including Sir Winston’s grandson Jeremy Soames; and his great-grandson, Randolph, were also present; as well as many of the trustees and advisory council from the WCMT.

Highlights of the day included presentations given by fellows from 1968 to 2014, about how their fellowship has shaped their lives and careers. Internationally acclaimed Churchill experts, including historian Sir David Cannedine, also gave talks.

The special day was rounded off with a spectacular Spitfire display, followed by Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill and Randolph Churchill taking the salute at a Beating Retreat given by a marching band.

Since 1965, over 5,000 British citizens have been awarded Churchill Fellowships, from over 100,000 applicants, to travel overseas to study areas of topical and personal interest.

For many people a Churchill Fellowship proves transformational, and they go on to achieve great things — effecting positive change within society.

To mark its half-century, the trust has awarded a record number of 150 travelling fellowships in 2015 — investing over £1.3m in British citizens.

This year’s fellows will travel to 58 countries between them, across six continents, where they will carry out a wide range of projects. The average length of a fellowship is six weeks.

Jamie Balfour, director-general of The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, said: “It is fitting to hold our 50th anniversary event at Blenheim Palace, and to come together with hundreds of fellows from across the past five decades, to celebrate the life of this great leader.

“Sir Winston’s legacy lives on through our fellows — individuals who, like him, have vision, leadership, a passion with a purpose, and a commitment to help their fellow citizens.”

email: alexcarey@oldham- chronicle.co.uk