The Garforth Peace Project is very busy this month. In late April, they are running a bake sale to raise money for their cause, hosting a fundraising concert with the Garforth Community Choir and GULP, and hosting a viewing of their refurbished peace flame (using solar power) with the Lord Mayor attending.
However, Sue and Fi had time to speak to The Garforth Gazette about these activities at Garforth’s favourite coffee shop, Huddle.
They told me a little about how the Peace Flame started in Garforth. The Garforth Gazette’s online research yielded that the flame was started in 2017 in the Jubilee Gardens.
‘In April, Garforth installed the first ever public World Peace Flame monument in England. We were the two who initiated that with community help. Our aim by creating Garforth Peace Project was that we were a credible group to go into schools, to introduce the ethos of the World Peace Flame, what it stands for, and then look at how we could work with the schools doing projects.”
“As we’ve become better known, we’ve been invited to other community groups.”
The official World Peace Flame website describes their ethos as such: ‘The purpose of The World Peace Flame is to achieve peace through educational projects and practically supporting grassroots peace initiatives.’
They spoke about their prior work with the council that allowed them to further spread the message.
“Prior to setting up the Peace Flame here, we were already working with Leeds City Council (Links to Peace), and that had a real focus on bringing groups together based on peace. The big thing that they’re part of is the (Leeds) Concord Interfaith Annual Peace Service, which is held in the City Hall every year. We’ve (done) one of the main speeches there. All of the different faiths light a candle for peace.”
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The Garforth Peace Project’s message, all in all, is simple…
“You embrace the Peace Flame, and you run with it in your community.”
And how better than to host events! Both ladies were happy to tell me about what was coming up.
“On Saturday 25th April, at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, at Barleyhill Working Men’s Club, our schoolchildren will be part of our schools Peace Cake Bake-Off. We are focusing on Fairtrade ingredients, and they bake cakes and base it (from) a theme (of) peace. We have done two Peace Cake Bake-Offs previously, in ’23 and ’24, and at that time the children chose their own charities.”
“That event would involve the children showing up on the Saturday afternoon, we’ll have judges, and then there’ll be a cake sale that will be open to all of the public.”
“In the evening, we’ve got a concert. That’s going to be performances by Garforth Community Choir, Garforth Ukelele Players, and Alex (Wise) is doing some line-dancing tuition. There will be a raffle.”
“The choir are amazingly supportive. They’ve been to just about everything we’ve ever done. Liz Welburn is an incredible person.”
The Peace Project are raising money to make the Peace Flame more sustainable. They will be changing the Peace Flame to a solar powered lantern, following suggestions of how they could make the monument more sustainable.
“The ceremony will be on Tuesday, 28th April at the Peace Flame Monument, around 11.30am-ish. At that time, (attending will be) the Lord Mayor, a representative from the World Peace Flame Foundation, councillors Sarah Field and Suzanne McCormack, pupils and staff from all of the primary schools. That event is going to be the unveiling of the Peace Flame.”
“The Garforth (monument) is going to have a little bit of uniqueness about it.”
Following the installation of the new Peace Flame in the gardens, Sue and Fi plan to keep the local schools involved with upkeep too.
“In April, we want to co ordinate with the schools and create a programme which we call ‘Keepers of the Peace Flame’. So, once a month, we will invite the councils to come to the Diamond Jubilee Garden with us, unlock the Peace Flame, clean the solar panels, check the wiring… so they’ll have a total understanding (of) how that lamp works.”
I asked if the Peace Project had any other events happening in later 2026, and they told me…
“When we created the Garforth Schools World Peace Trail, and the Garforth Schools Peace Flag, we launched them specifically on the 31st July. The 31st July is the anniversary of the World Peace Flame. On the 31st July (or dates around July), for the past several years, we have had an annual Peace Walk. We haven’t fixed a date for that (this year) yet.”
“In November, in Remembrance Week, we also do a Garforth Annual Peace Lantern Walk. We invite children to make a lantern and just walk, and ask if any of the children have any reflections on peace.”
However, the efforts of the Peace Project have expanded out beyond Garforth- to talks with the Royal Armouries about possibly having a flame in their new peace garden, to Buckingham Palace garden parties and sending candles out to Ukraine. Sue and Fi each had their own message to say about the Peace Project.
Sue-
“From the day I held the World Peace Flame, I knew that flame would change the world.”
Fi, recalling a quote-
“Peace isn’t just the absence of violence, it’s the manifestation of human compassion.”
“Peace can be going for a walk in the countryside. Peace can be going for a swim. Peace can be playing… Xbox, which the children think is wonderful.”
Facebook links to the events pages can be found here, here and here. Pictures are courtesy of Garforth Peace Project’s Facebook, which can be found here. For more interviews with local people, follow The Garforth Gazette here.
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