Each year, the Premier League Truce Tournament is held for Under-12s sides in Ypres, Belgium, to commemorate the Christmas Truce, when German and British soldiers laid down their weapons to play a game of football during World War I.

As part of the educational project which runs alongside the tournament, teams complete three different missions centred around the tournament's theme, using creativity, communication and reflection.

This year's theme was the Pals' Battalions, a British Army tactic that enlisted men from the same communities so they could serve alongside friends, neighbours and colleagues.

For the first mission, the Academy chose to create a 'battalion portrait' reflecting not only the Under-12s taking part this year, but also players and staff who have experienced previous tournaments.

Over 60 former players and staff participated in the photograph, which taught the Under-12s about the importance of community and legacy. The Academy hopes to continue this tradition of bringing people together and treasuring sharing memories.

Another mission focused on community and the power of football, as the Under-12s organised an event at Cobham for those closest to them - their own 'battalion'. The boys hosted a friendship festival where each player could invite two friends from outside football to enjoy a day at our Cobham training ground.

Throughout the festival, guest speakers educated the boys further about World War I. Among the guests were Tim Downes, a Royal Marine veteran of 30 years who spoke about remembrance, Alex Churchill, director of The Great War Group and author of Over Land and Sea: Chelsea FC in the Great War, and Jane Lawson, head of marketing at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

This educational experience also benefited the players' friends and Churchill later gave them a guided tour of the World War I galleries at the Imperial War Museum.

Wanting to extend the idea of community even further, the Under-12s volunteered to pair up with the Chelsea Foundation to fundraise for local homeless charities at the men's team's Conference League fixture at Stamford Bridge on 7 November. The young Blues raised funds outside nearby Fulham Town Hall, the site of the first Footballers' Battalion enlistment in December 1914.

Alongside fundraising before the fixture, the Under-12s engaged with fans to share what they had learned, discussing the Pals' Battalions, Chelsea’s involvement in World War I, the significance of Fulham Town Hall and figures from Chelsea's past who had served in the battalions. As part of their other mission, the players had also created a poster to encourage others to donate, drawing on skills from their educational workshops.

To finish off a brilliant night of community engagement at the Conference League match against Noah, where the senior side picked up an 8-0 victory, the boys participated in pre-match activities, including meeting Levi Colwill and Cole Palmer pitch side, when they presented the former with the commemorative ball won by his own Chelsea Under-12s squad 10 years ago.

'The education side of the Truce Tournament is something we look forward to every year,' reflected Academy player care co-ordinator Yassin McLynn.

'It is always a timely reminder of the realities and sacrifices of the First World War, and the boys' engagement has been fantastic.

'We give the Under-12s a lot of creative license to action their learning, which they have done brilliantly this year with their community engagement and fundraising efforts.'