Poppy memorial display a truly international effort

Andrew Key with the knitted poppies sent from Australia for the Heckington 100 remembrance display. EMN-180510-180313001

A community project to create a '˜Sea of Poppies' in Heckington's parish church to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War has reached an amazing milestone.

Heckington 100 originally hoped villagers would knit, crochet and stitch 10,000 poppies for the artwork.

Co-ordinator Andrew Key said: “We are delighted to announce the total of poppies made and handed in has now reached 14,000 with the arrival of a parcel of 51 poppies from New Zealand. It truly is an international effort.”

A further batch of 320 poppies – including a special poppy tea cosy - then arrived from staff at St John of God Subiaco Hospital in Perth, Western Australia.

Mr Key added: “It’s truly humbling how much people care.”

Plans are well in hand for the exhibition which opens on October 27 and runs daily for two weeks up to Remembrance Sunday.

Lots of village organisations and groups are having their own displays.

There is also a plan to plant 31 trees on land at Godson Avenue dedicated to the 31 Heckington men who died in the Great War.