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2024 Year 5 Second Prize
A matchgirls poem by Ellie

Out like a match,
They walked down bow road,
Taking back all the hope they are owed,
Paint to this day,
Gladstone may say,
As Annie Besant led the way,
Work for 14 hours a day,
With barely any pay.
No longer at work,
Their shadows may lurk,
Wanted to leave,
They had to deceive.
Rose to the top,
Nothing to stop.
They sparked a change,
A hopeful range.

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5th July 2024 saw the 136th anniversary of the Matchgirls Strike. To mark the occasion, The Matchgirls Memorial took part in the William Patten Primary School morning assembly.
Prizes were presented to the winners of this years school poetry competition. Our judges this year were Tanya Landman, Author, Debbie Rolls, Educator, Freelance Writer and Unionist, and Dr Anna Robinson, Senior Lecturer at the University of East London (UEL) and Poet.
Ellie won Second Prize in the Year 5 category with her poem.

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