Janine GriffithsGarforth residents braved the rain last Friday to take part in the annual Peace Lantern Walk, which was a moving evening of reflection and unity that wound its way through the heart of East Leeds.
The walk, now in its eighth year, began at Susan’s Seat on November 7th, which is stage three of the Garforth Schools World Peace Trail.
Families and children carried glowing lanterns along the short but powerful route, pausing for readings and moments of silence. The walk ended at the Diamond Jubilee Garden, home to the World Peace Flame monument.
“It’s always nice,” said organiser Sue Owen of the Garforth Peace Project. “You never know how many people will turn up, but if anyone joins us, it’s still worth doing. It’s just a peaceful thing to do, a way to reflect during Remembrance Week without focusing on conflict.”
The World Peace Flame was first created in July 1999 when 7 flames were lit around the world and flown to the UK to be united into one flame. It stands as a symbol of peace and unity. Garforth, Leeds, became home to England’s first World Peace Flame monument.
That flame now burns at the heart of Diamond Jubilee Garden, where walkers concluded their journey with a minute’s silence to honour Armistice Day. The event is part of the Garforth Peace Project, which Sue and her partner Fiona have run for years with support from local councillors, Garforth in Bloom, Garforth and District Lions, and of course, the local community. Garforth Peace Project have also built lasting partnerships with schools, teaching thousands of children to become young peacemakers.
The Peace Lantern Walk was created to offer an alternative perspective on remembrance, one rooted in hope rather than sorrow. “We didn’t go to war for war,” Sue’s late father once told her. “We went to war for peace.” That message, she says, has guided everything she’s done since. “He was on the front line. He loved the world peace flame, and he wanted to see the world peace flame on all the war memorials,” Sue continued, adding: “It’s why I feel so honoured to work with the World Peace Flame, because its message is so simple. It is one flame uniting people worldwide in peace. We’re 8 billion people on this planet, and the majority of people are good, kind, peaceful, caring, and are actually living in peace.”
The project’s work extends far beyond the annual walk. The pair oversee the Garforth Schools World Peace Trail, featuring over 200 peace stones created by pupils, and have delivered countless assemblies across Leeds to spread the message of kindness, unity, and peaceful communication.
“We’re forever aiming to inspire our young peacemakers,” Sue explained. “It’s about giving children a chance to reflect, to allow children and everyone to realise they can make a difference for peace.
“That is why we believe our ongoing project with our schools, Paying Peace Forward, is so important. Through this project, children help to create more World Peace Flame (WPF) tea light candles – some placed within the Garforth Monument for people to take away, others shared at Leeds Central Library as part of the Leeds WPF, and many distributed in other ways. It’s a wonderful way for the children to continue making a difference.”
Leeds is now home to England’s first four public World Peace Flame Monuments. The first was installed in Garforth, followed by Scholes in December 2018. March 2024 saw the first city-centre monument unveiled in Park Square, Leeds, and most recently, in June 2025, Kippax added its own flame to the village’s Remembrance Garden.
The aim of the Garforth Peace Project is to remind people everywhere that each and every person plays a crucial role in creating peace at every level.
To find out more about the project, visit the Garforth Peace Project website.
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