Ipswich: Global peace run steps into Ipswich carrying torch through town schools

The World Harmony Peace Runners stopped at Sproughton CEVCP School on Wednesday 14th May during their tour through Ipswich.

The runners from Brazil, Europe, Russia, New Zealand, and Mexico were completing the torch relay in its 27th year as it arrived from the Netherlands via Harwich.

They are set to carry on today to King’s Lynn via St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds, where the torch will be blessed.

From King’s Lynn the torch will travel around England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland before returning to the continent, visiting some 47 nations on the way and finishing in Belgrade this October.

Yesterday during the Ipswich leg the runners met the mayor of Ipswich, councillor Hamil Clarke, in his parlour at 10am.

The mayor presented them with a scroll of goodwill for the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, who the runners will meet next month.

This was in reciprocation of a letter sent by the Lord Mayor to Ipswich for the inauguration of the Ipswich Statue of Peace in Chantry Park.

Mr Clarke then sent the runners off from the Town Hall steps at 10.30am.

From there they ran to Sproughton Church of England Primary School where Kathy Pollard, vice-chairman of Babergh District Council, and the school’s headteacher, Karen Read, welcomed them at 11am.

They engaged in a number of activities with the children, who ran along with the torch for around three-quarters of an hour.

Then at St Joseph’s College Preparatory School, headteacher Dr Martin Hine welcomed the runners to the chapel and pupils waved peace flags as they ran through the school.

Martin Spettigue, the East Anglian co-ordinator of the Peace Run, said: “We are delighted.

“The responses of the children to the grass routes message are great, they responded to it like anything.

“There’s no cynicism at all at that age, they don’t have that characteristic.”