Support the
MGGS Wartime Tunnels
and Visitor Centre
Help Keep History Alive
The MGGS Wartime Tunnels and Visitor Centre are more than a glimpse into the past—they are a lasting tribute to the courage, resilience and everyday lives of the students and staff who lived through the Second World War.
Every purchase, donation and act of support helps us preserve this remarkable piece of local history, care for our historic collections, maintain the tunnels, and create inspiring educational experiences for future generations.
Whether you choose a copy of A Schoolgirl's War, dedicate a commemorative brick or coat peg, purchase a beautiful print of Helen Keen's wartime artwork, or make a donation, you are becoming part of the story that keeps these memories alive.
Thank you for helping us preserve the past and inspire the future.
A School Girl's War
A Schoolgirl's War, written by former MGGS Headteacher Mary Smith, is a fascinating and evocative record of school life in wartime, bringing together an exquisite and unparalleled set of paintings of girls at school during WW2 and first-hand recollections of pupils who experienced disrupted schooling, air raids, doodlebugs and lessons in underground shelters. MGGS art teacher Helen Keen set out to record the life of the school as the war unfolded. Her paintings have never been published before. These pictures and the vivid memories of the old girls, now in their 80s and 90s, will move and surprise you. The book is a rich read for anyone interested in the history of the home front during WWII.
£10
MGGS Scrapbook
The Students and Staff at Maidstone Grammar School for Girls spent their time during the Coronavirus pandemic creating visual and written expressions of their experiences. This scrapbook follows these events in the order they occurred to encapsulate life at school during this time, becoming a creative and visual time capsule for generations to come to reflect on.
£10
MGGS Post Cards
Share a little piece of MGGS history with our collection of greeting cards featuring Helen Keen's wartime paintings and beautiful images of MGGS. Each pack contains 5 cards with white envelopes, making them perfect for sending to friends and family or keeping as a special memento. With a selection of designs to choose from, every purchase helps support the MGGS Wartime Tunnels, Visitor Centre and the wider work of the Development Trust.
£5
Buy a Helen Keen Print #1
Take home a beautifully framed A3 print of Helen Keen's original wartime artwork and own a piece of MGGS history. Printed on premium heavyweight cardstock and presented in a quality frame, each print celebrates the remarkable illustrations that helped inspire A Schoolgirl's War and preserve the stories of the school during the Second World War. With several different paintings to choose from, you can find a favourite piece while supporting the preservation of the MGGS Wartime Tunnels and Visitor Centre.
£45
Buy a Helen Keen Print #2
Take home a beautifully framed A3 print of Helen Keen's original wartime artwork and own a piece of MGGS history. Printed on premium heavyweight cardstock and presented in a quality frame, each print celebrates the remarkable illustrations that helped inspire A Schoolgirl's War and preserve the stories of the school during the Second World War. With several different paintings to choose from, you can find a favourite piece while supporting the preservation of the MGGS Wartime Tunnels and Visitor Centre.
£45
Buy a Helen Keen Print #3
Take home a beautifully framed A3 print of Helen Keen's original wartime artwork and own a piece of MGGS history. Printed on premium heavyweight cardstock and presented in a quality frame, each print celebrates the remarkable illustrations that helped inspire A Schoolgirl's War and preserve the stories of the school during the Second World War. With several different paintings to choose from, you can find a favourite piece while supporting the preservation of the MGGS Wartime Tunnels and Visitor Centre.
£45
Buy a Brick
Have a brick in our WW2 Classroom dedicated to you.
After you purchase your brick, we will contact you so you can let us know
what message you would like to have written on the plaque.
£150
Buy a Coat Peg
Have a 1940s Classroom Coat Peg dedicated to you for our Visitor Centre (item may vary from the picture).
After you purchase your coat peg, we will be in touch with you so you can let us know what message you would like to have written on the plaque.
£50
Sponsor the Woodland Garden
The MGGS Woodland Garden is a space to support students' mental health needs. A space to remember a loved one, but also a space to reconnect to nature, to others and to ourselves and a space to reflect on what is important in life in the midst of the stress and busyness. A space that the whole MGGS community can use.
MGGS is giving you the opportunity to sponsor part of our garden to commemorate a precious memory, loved one, or occasion.
Become a Regular Donor
Every donation, no matter the size, helps us preserve the MGGS Wartime Tunnels, enhance the Visitor Centre and support projects that enrich life across the school. Whether you choose to make a one-off donation or set up a regular monthly standing order, your support provides vital funding that helps us protect our heritage, inspire future generations and continue investing in the school's future.
One donation makes a difference. Regular giving helps shape the future.
Please note that all donations to our Wartime Tunnels Visitor Centre, raised during our 15 to Finish campaign in 2025, were matched by the Rochester bridge Trust, meaning that your gift & donation has had double the impact!