WFW TEAM
RORY FORSYTH
CEO & TRUSTEE
“Collaborative commemoration is the only way we ensure it survives.”
SIR ANTHONY SELDON
TRUSTEE
“We are building paths to unite lives, not walls to divide them”
AMANDA CARPENTER
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR & TRUSTEE
“In harmony with nature we leave nothing but our footprints as we walk this new route for peace and reflection”
KIM HAY
HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
“The WFW’s role is vital for what so many people need, indeed are looking for, today – balance, reflection and connection”
TOM HEAP
TRUSTEE
“I walk to deliver the dream of my great-uncle and the fun of discovering what’s round the next corner”
LAL MILLS
TRUSTEE
“Walking “that Via Sacra” will inspire future generations from all nations to unite together in the pursuit for peace”
KITTY BUCHANAN-GREGORY
TRUSTEE
“Never underestimate the power of walking through your thoughts; this peace path is to put ‘boots on the ground’ in a beautiful way”
LAURA LESTOQUOY
TRUSTEE
“The best way to remember those who fell for our freedom is to share good moments and enjoy the present”
ANDREW GILLESPIE
TRUSTEE
“My hope is that all who walk along this amazing path will understand the horrors of war and the joy of walking in peace”
CHARLES PIKE
TRUSTEE
“The route is a way to find unity in peace”
FLORA DEVILLERS
TRUSTEE
AMBASSADOR FOR HAUTS-DE-FRANCE, REPRESENTATIVE FOR SOMME (80)
Participating as the French charity Af3v alongside the Western Front Way means creating a green corridor. It is for me, to remember the humanist impulse to build a better world and lasting peace that inspired the founders of the Council of Europe. The Western Front Way – Via Pax is thus a journey for individual and collective resilience for a lasting understanding between peoples in a sustainable world.
SONIA CARITU ARFARAS
AF3V
The” Via Pax “cycle route carried with energy and constancy by the Western Front Way is remarkable both from a memorial and cultural point of view. Sewing and mending links to better build and maintain peace between peoples is essential. Cyclists pulling the thread is a source of pride for the AF3V.
PIERRE HEMON
VICE PRESIDENT AF3V
OUR BELGIUM TEAM
Front row from left to right: Ann Gheeraert, Deputy Mayor for Nieuwpoort – Michelle Martens, Head of Tourism for Nieuwpoort – Valérie Heyman, regional manager Westhoek for Westtoer
Second row from left to right: Stephen Lodewyck, Westtoer – Peter Slosse, Head of Tourism for Ypres – Peter Verplancken, Museum of the Yser – Stefaan Gheysen, general director Westtoer – Peter Mouton, Museum of the Yser – Peter Demarée, Head of Tourism for Diksmuide
Not in the picture, but also part of partners: Lies Laridon, Mayor of Diksmuide – Diego Desmadryl, Deputy Mayor for Ypres
We need to find new ways to remember that peace will always be a path and a process that requires our commitment, our willingness to be on the road, to overcome hurdles, to take each other along. In that sense, the Via Pax is offering a unique opportunity for Europeans and people from other nations to come together. May The Western Front Way inspire cities from across Europe to revive their partnerships, to meet on the road and walk towards the same goals again: peace, freedom, democracy, human rights and a joint vision for a united Europe.
HUBERTA VON VOSS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ISD GERMANY
STEPHEN FARRANT
SUPPORTER
“Cycling the Western Front Way is a profoundly moving experience; a stark reminder of our interconnected histories and an inspiration for our shared future.”
BETH SALT
SUPPORTER
“The Western Front Way is steeped in dramatic human stories which serve to remind us how fragile and beautiful peace is”
ALAN RUTTER
SUPPORTER
“The scenery! Sometimes, I’d just stop and stare. The sunsets and the sunrises; cornfields that seemed to go on forever, woodland paths where I’d chop my way through the nettles with my staff.”
TESS TIDMARSH
SUPPORTER
“A beautiful walking path that unites us whilst we remember the sacrifices of the past”