RE visits and visitors

Encounter with people is vital for pupils to engage with issues of faith and belief and to be able to explore more richly and deeply the ways of life of those different from themselves, both what makes them different and what we hold in common. Visits and visitors are therefore an important element in the provision of RE. There is guidance here and also a directory, which is regularly updated.

If a school knows of a good contact or visit, please let SACRE know so that we can then share it with other schools.

Holocaust Education Charity: Generation 2 Generation (G2G) speakers for schools

Generation 2 Generation (G2G) provides trained and engaging speakers to schools for Year 6 and upwards to tell their families’ Holocaust Experiences. All the speakers are descendants or close friends of Holocaust Survivors, and their presentations include testimony given by the Survivor or in some cases by those who did not survive in the form of letters or diary entries.

Their aim is not only to keep these stories alive but also to promote tolerance and understanding. The theme for next year’s Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January 2026, is ‘Bridging the Generations’ which is exactly what G2G was established to do.

All presenters receive continuous support and training to ensure they deliver high quality, age appropriate, historically accurate and engaging presentations. The presenters also have a DBS Enhanced Certificate. G2G has shared the following feedback from teachers.

“The story of your father was riveting, and you communicated the messages of looking out for prejudice and the good of individualism terrible circumstances in such an effective manner."

"Your talk was wonderful, and students continued to approach staff to give their thoughts on it after you had left.”

“To see 40 plus autistic students sat intently listening to every word speaks volumes.”

There is no fee for the speakers (but G2G ask schools to consider making a donation or contributing towards travel costs).

Please do share this information with RE, History and Humanities, Sixth Form Lead colleagues etc.

For information about booking a speaker please use this link:

Generation2generation.org.UK: Book a Holocaust speaker for schools

Education in-school visits from the National Holocaust Centre and Museum

The U.K.’s national museum of the Holocaust has award-winning and immersive exhibitions, priceless collections of artefacts and a family of Holocaust survivors who have been sharing their testimonies with visiting students for nearly three decades. 40,000 students learn with them every year, including primary and secondary schools, recently participating in cutting-edge workshops using new resources.

For primary students, their learning programmes are based on the journey of a young German Jewish boy named Leo who goes to England as a Kindertransport refugee. For secondary and post-16 students, their programmes are based on their Holocaust Exhibition and an understanding of how the Holocaust evolved as well as how it links to present issues of online hate and conspiracy theories.

A team of expert, friendly educators are ready to teach your students about the past so that they can better understand the present. Find out more about our in-school visit offer in our brochures. To book, email bookings@holocaust.org.uk

Training volunteers to tell of faith in RE Lessons 

Could you be a schools’ faith visitor?

Two and a half hours of training, delivered in two sessions, empowers ordinary people to share about their faith in Religious Education lessons in local primary schools - parents, grandparents, students and any person of faith who wants to support schools. Schools may host this training on site for their supporters.

Sessions organised to suit your diary:-

• 4 to 6 people per session, Session 1 on zoom, Session 2 face to face.
• follow-up by email.
• schools will pay travel expenses for visits. Some schools receive visitors of any faith, many need visits on Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism.

Based on the experience of the Whisper project taking visitors to Hertfordshire primary schools from 2016 to 2020, seeded by Welwyn Hatfield Interfaith and sponsored by Hertfordshire County Council and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. Training will help a visitor to:

• draw on their personal faith experience, skillset and religious knowledge to create engaging lessons tailored to the ages in the class
• understand and respect the classroom environment
• learn some background about the RE syllabus
• liaise with school teachers and seek feedback for continuous improvement

Wendy Lidgate is Community and Families worker with WGC United Reformed Church. An experienced trainer, Wendy is a theology graduate who represents Free Churches on Herts SACRE* and also acts as co-opted member for Interfaith.

Please contact Wendy to express your interest.

Call 07904 517384 or email wendy.lidgate@outlook.com

*SACRE – Standing Advisory Committee for Religious Education