A west Suffolk community has been hailed as “amazing” for getting behind a campaign for a stunning poppy cascade to mark this year’s Remembrance anniversary.
People in Sudbury were asked to help commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War by creating at least 5,500 poppies to make a dazzling display from the tower of St Peter’s on Market Hill in the town.
Sudbury Town Council launched the campaign in February and the target of 5,500 knitted or crocheted poppies has already been smashed with the current count standing at 7,500.
RAF Honington has donated a cargo net to attach the poppies, which will fall from the church tower to the ground for a striking visual effect.
Jodie Budd, assistant town clerk, said the poppy target has now been raised to 10,000 to ensure the display, in the two weeks leading up to Remebrance Sunday, is as spectacular as possible.
She said: “The response has been amazing and they are still coming in. I think every day we receive around 150+ poppies, it’s really good.
“We have now raised the target to 10,000 because we’ve worked out that we’ve got 38 meters of net to cover and 16 weeks to do it.”
The council is working in partnership with the Sudbury and District Royal British Legion and Simply Handmade – which is based at the Stour Valley Business Centre in Brundon Lane – on the project.
The council is now seeking volunteers to help attach the poppies to the net and will be holding sessions every Thursday from July 12 between 10am-4pm.
Mrs Budd said: “It’s all hands on deck now. We are attaching the poppies with cable ties so you don’t need to be able to sow to do it.
“We’d love people to come along and stay for as long as they like, maybe they can spare a few hours, so we can get them all on there. We’ll provide a few refreshments.”
There are two knitting patterns available to download from the town council’s website at www.sudburytowncouncil.co.uk.
The designs can also be collected from the town hall, tourist information centre in the library or from Simply Handmade.
Last year, more than 5,000 woollen poppies cascaded from the bell tower and over the walls of St Mary’s Church, at Walsham le Willows, following a campaign.
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