Two Chetwynde School pupils from Barrow were chosen to participate in an international prejudice-challenging project, visiting Amsterdam as representatives of the Anne Frank Trust.

Year 10 students, Rocco Whitehouse and Ben Hanna, travelled to the city to explore Anne Frank's House, learning about The Holocaust and Jewish people living in Amsterdam and gaining a deeper understanding of Anne's life and their own identity.

Fourteen-year-olds, Rocco and Ben, were chosen from more than 60 Anne Frank Trust Ambassadors who applied for the 16-place expedition, paid for by the trust.

Rocco said: “We went to Anne Frank’s house and saw how difficult it was to live in that tiny little house and thought about what life was like for them hiding away from the Germans.

“I hadn’t been to Amsterdam before and it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see first-hand that part of history.”

His schoolmate Ben voiced similar sentiments.

He said: “Going to Anne Frank’s house helped me to understand better how challenging her life was. We also met the other ambassadors and made friends.”

Both students captured their experiences through poetry and intend to share their reflections during a Holocaust Remembrance Assembly in January, in conjunction with the Anne Frank Trust.

Having served as Anne Frank Trust Ambassadors for around a year, both pupils have engaged in various meetings and workshops focusing on equality under the trust's aegis.

Naomi Griffiths-Littlechild, Assistant Director of Education for The Anne Frank Trust UK, lauded Rocco and Ben's conduct during the trip, commenting they were a 'credit to themselves and the school'.

“They were selected from over 60 ambassadors who applied to come. They were a credit to themselves and the school engaging well with the trip and asking brilliant questions, it was a privilege to take them,” she said.

Chetwynde School teacher, Michelle Doolan, expressed pride in the two schoolboys' achievements.

She said: “It will have been an incredible experience for them and it's brilliant to get such positive feedback.

“I think they have done well to be selected as not everybody that applied got a place.

“I am hoping we can encourage more students to become ambassadors this year when The Anne Frank Trust visit us again to do another workshop. So, more of our students can take up opportunities like this in the future.”