The launch of the World War 1 Trail in Bury St Edmunds, which features 18 different pieces of artwork dotted round the town, is being held on Wednesday.

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Artists and craftsmen and women from around west Suffolk and into Essex have been busy creating some iconic works which are set to go on display later this month.

The trail, which is being sponsored by Treatt, is being organised by the My WiSH Charity and Our Bury St Edmunds, the business improvement district in the town, with funds raised going towards the charity’s Every Heart Matters appeal.

It is aiming to raise £500,000 to help create a fully integrated cardiac centre at the West Suffolk Hospital with the 18 items sold at an auction later this year.

The launch is taking place at the Greene King Beer Cafe, at 6pm, by invitation only, and will be an opportunity for people to meet the artists and preview some of their work.

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Sue Smith, the fundraising manager at My WiSH said: “We are absolutely delighted to at last launch the trail.

“We have been working on this for nearly two years now and seeing all this amazing artwork come to life is just incredible.

“We wanted to make sure that we could mark the centenary of the ending of the Great War in a way that would be both respectful and interesting.

“We really do hope that as many people as possible will walk the trail and learn as much as we have and at the end of the trail in November we will be auctioning off these incredible pieces of art and raise as much money as we can for our Every Heart Matters Appeal.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that has worked so hard with us to make this possible.”

And Mark Cordell, chief executive of Our Bury St Edmunds, added: “I am delighted that the formal launch of the World War 1 Trail is being held at the Greene King Beer Café, one of the premises who will be hosting one of the 18 pieces on the trail.

“Like the Wolf Trail in 2015 I am hugely impressed with the calibre and quality of the pieces of art that the artists we commissioned have produced.

“The trail should be interesting and entertaining as people look for and find the interpretation of our artists on aspects of World War 1.

“Hopefully this commemoration of the centenary of the ending of the war will raise awareness of what happened during the four years of the war, attract more visitors into Bury St Edmunds town centre as well as raising money for the Every Heart Matters appeal.”