Valerie Hosts the Awards for the Sidney Goldberg Competition 2014

On Monday 14 July 2015 I hosted the award ceremony for the Sidney Goldberg Memorial Competition 2014 at the House of Commons. I launched the Competition along with Speaker Rt Hon John Bercow MP in October 2013 to honour the Memory of Sidney Goldberg, a member of the RAF Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War. Sidney Goldberg, served on the HMS Hilary and was present on a Headquarters Ship during the D-Day landings and provided key interpreted information during the war. This led to him being awarded the Legion d’Honneur in 2004. He passed away in 2011.

The competition was open to Primary and Secondary State schools in the UK from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 5. Secondary School participants wrote essays on subjects related to the War and Key Stage 2 had the option of writing an essay, a newspaper article or submitting a piece of artwork. The first prize for each Key Stage was a trip to Normandy with a parent/guardian to visit sites including Juno Beach, the Caen Memorial Museum and the Arromanches.


Sidney’s daughter Rachelle was the administrator and coordinator of the competition ad the Judging Panel. The other Judges were Andrew Bell Political Editor Channel 5 News; Kevin Burke, Headteacher Gunnersbury Catholic School for Boys and Paul Townsend former Deputy Headteacher. The winners from each Key Stage will be added shortly.


I was delighted to welcome Captain Tom Tulloch Naval Attache at the Canadian High Commission and Dr Julian Lewis MP Chair of the Defence Select Committee, who gave out the prizes.

To find out more about the competition click here here