Harley Ryley, one of the Trust's 25 Regional Ambassadors, blogs on why she's looking forward to our upcoming Ambassador Conference in July.
When I first applied to be a Regional Ambassador at the beginning of this year, I realised just how long three years (the time since I’d been on the Lessons from Auschwitz Project) really is. In that time I’d done my A-Levels, started university and while the basics of my Holocaust knowledge still remained, I was aware that I was no expert. And it is kind of scary, being an Ambassador, a Regional Ambassador, and knowing you’ll be representing the Trust and its work in all of the awareness events, talks, blogs and tweets that you are involved with. But then I am reminded that we are a community. And as a community, we have the chance to make a difference and to spread a clear and simple message: the Holocaust should never be forgotten.
Three years on then, and we are fast approaching the first ever Ambassador Conference, an event uniting the hundreds of Ambassadors across the country to share stories, learn new skills in events organising and public speaking and most importantly, to learn more about the Holocaust, to delve deeper into the stories we can hear and the people we can think about. Joined by some of the inspirational Holocaust survivors that many of us have heard from, as well as leading figures in our society today who all wish to support our work. The Conference looks to be an opportunity that I know I don’t want to miss! As the first event of its kind I hope the Conference will bring together all of the Ambassadors from across the country to inspire each other.
When Holocaust survivor Kitty Hart-Moxon signed my copy of her book at my Lessons from Auschwitz Orientation Seminar all those years ago, she told me she was proud to be amongst so many young people who want to share her story, and remember the stories of all those who are no longer with us to share them. We have a responsibility to ensure that those stories aren’t forgotten, and the more we learn and share as a community of likeminded young people, the more of a difference we can make!
Hopefully...I’ll see you there!
Ambassadors can apply for tickets to the Ambassador Conference taking place on 8th July 2013 in Central London.