Many plans are in the process of being developed, not least of all the hunt for a suitable site for our memorial – the is not an easy task.

We continue to work with our friends at Durham University’s Oriental Museum for a major exhibition in 2017, plans which are increasingly taking an international dimension, and in this connection we  continue to be in contact with those who come forward with CLC related material/artefacts.

We have a first draft of a new video – market testing has some mixed results. It is on the subject of insanity among men of the Chinese Labour Corps. Some find it confusing, but the film is meant to portray disorientation and confusion. We’ve decided to shelve it and come back to it later.

We are excited to be in very early talks about the possibility of making an animation video, aimed at a younger audience. Meanwhile, we are also exploring the possibility of a musical fund-raising event during the Chinese New Year. As part of this, we are piloting the formation of our first University supporters group – UCL Friends of the Chinese Labour Corps will work independently, but be supported by the Campaign HQ. We hope to roll out this model of working with other University student bodies once we have proof of concept and identified difficulties and solutions to them.  We are very excited to have the opportunity to vein discussion with one of the country’s Confucius Institutes, more news on that soon.

Currently we are preparing a Delivery Partnership Pack as our first stage of recruiting community organisation cross the country to act as local Friends of the Chinese Labour Corps, and hope that clusters of geographical friends will form strategic partnerships based on the huge success of the Campaign’s Startegic Partnership Board which has allowed a huge synergy from its constituent members to take effect. We plan to roll out further versions of “The Friend” model across communities of interest.

There is growing support from a number of Parliamentarians from across the political spectrum, and our first mentioning Parliament will, we hope, be far from the last.

The list goes on – some will work out, others not, but the direction of travel is very positive.