Centenary Overview

Legacy Books

All of the winning entries from the Centenary competitions have been published in a beautiful anthology. *Stories of the First World War* provides an introduction to the Great War period for young people, with poetry, art and personal stories from the period.

Award Ceremonies

Each year, competition winners were invited to a very special award ceremony - to celebrate their excellent work! Click the picture to learn more about the ceremonies.

Buckingham Palace

Competition winners from around the world travelled all the way to London for a special tea party to be recognised for their achievements!

Fundraising Galas

Over the Centenary, we gathered friends and supporters to celebrate the wonderful work created by children and young people to commemorate the First World War.

Never Such Innocence

Never Such Innocence is a registered charity (number 1156148) in England and Wales and is a unique project fitting into the wider series of 2014-2018 centenary activities. Our aim is to ensure young people nationally are inspired, informed and included in the centenary activities.

The charity takes its name from Philip Larkin’s famous poem MCMXIV, which reflects on the changes caused by the First World War. The driving force behind Never Such Innocence is Lady Lucy French, great-granddaughter of Field Marshal Sir John French who commanded the British Expeditionary Forces from 1914-15.

The launch of Never Such Innocence was kindly hosted at Australia House in May 2014 with a gala dinner and theatrical performance, blending poetry, prose and music from the Great War, compiled by Dr Martin Stephen. Since our inception we have been dedicated to engaging the nation’s children in the First World War centenary through learning, poetry, art and music.

T: 0207 836 2603
11 Slingsby Place, London,
WC2E 9AB

Never Such Innocence.
Registered Charity Number 1156148 Company Number 8680319

Are you looking for a song to sing at your Remembrance Day assembly? Why not sing 'The 11th of November' written by students from The Nicholas Hamond Academy during one of our songwriting workshops. We have sheet music, backing tracks and lyric sheets available for your school or group. Email us on enquiries@neversuchinnocence.com to get your copy! #RemembranceDay #lestweforget #poppy

Violetta, our inspiring Young Ambassador from New Zealand, gives a multi-lingual invitiation to participate in this year's competition!✨ #YouthEmpowered #CreativeYouth #GlobalVoices

🎨 The artist shared: 'In this picture I have drawn the values of Kazakhstan, which are listed by UNESCO as important elements of our nomadic people. And by recognizing the same important and beautiful elements of each nation, we can prevent war. After all, war occurs because of the greed of the government.' For more details and to join the competition, visit our official website at neversuchinnocence.com. We invite you to answer the crucial question: How can we prevent future wars? Share your idea with us! #neversuchinnocence #YouthVoices #GlobalArtists

Ahead of Remembrance Day, why not consider how the act of Remembrance could answer this year's competition theme: How can we prevent future wars? Image reference: - “Love to Our Country / Lest we Forget” by Jude, 14-16, Canada. Never Such Innocence Competition 2016-17 - Salisbury, F. O. (1920). The Burial of the Unknown soldier [Oil on Canvas]. Parliamentary Art Collection, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. - “I Miss You” by Vasilisa, 14-16, from Art School of Olga Nazarkina, Deep River, Canada. Never Such Innocence Competition 2017-18 “How Can We Prevent Future Wars?” Annual NSI Competition 2024/25 Deadline: 28/02/2025 Stay up to date on the competition by following our social media @neversuch and checking out the link in bio for more resources! #artcompetition #neversuchinnocence #arttips #remembranceday #remembranceday2024 #armisticeday #armisticeday2024