Gainsborough business crochets more than 1,000 poppies for Remembrance Day
Colleagues at Noble Foods’ Gainsborough site have created a striking Remembrance Day tribute featuring more than 1,000 hand-crafted poppies, bringing together employees, local businesses and suppliers in a remarkable community effort.
The project began when colleagues volunteered to crochet poppies for a local church’s VE Day display, supporting village residents who were creating commemorative installations to mark the anniversary.
Inspired by the success of that initiative, colleagues Vicky Hand and Rosie Thomas proposed creating a dedicated display at Noble Foods’ Gainsborough site. With support from the site’s HR team, plans quickly took shape and colleagues from across the business came together to help bring the vision to life.
At the heart of the project were a team of dedicated crafters, with more than 1,000 poppies knitted and crocheted over the past year by Sally Bazley, Jo Peters, Vicky Hand, Heather Neville and Rosie Thomas.
The display was supported by colleagues, suppliers and local businesses.
Colleague Daniel Beaumont helped secure donations of wool and funding from suppliers including Mailbox Products, Smart Packaging and RS Safety Solutions, helping the team create the large-scale installation.
Local business The Wool Loft donated additional wool, while Elite Signs designed and donated the main display board, onto which many of the handcrafted poppies were carefully assembled.
The tribute also features a prominent “Lest We Forget” installation, donated through the support of Richard O’Dell and his supplier. The intricate lettering was painstakingly created by Jo Peters, Sally Bazley and Heather Neville.
Further support came from Richard Morley, who helped construct the framework for the display, and Gianni Andriani, who arranged a protective Perspex cover, ensuring the installation can be preserved and reused for years to come. Noble Foods’ engineering team also played a key role in installing the finished display.
Speaking about the project, Rosie Thomas said: “What started as a way of supporting our local church’s VE Day celebrations quickly grew into something much bigger. The amount of support we’ve received from colleagues, suppliers and local businesses has been incredible! It’s brought people together, helped us learn new skills and created something we’re all really proud of. Seeing the finished display and knowing it can be used year after year makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
A spokesperson for Noble Foods added: “This project is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when colleagues come together behind a shared purpose. The display is a fitting tribute to those who served and sacrificed, while also showcasing the community spirit that exists across our Gainsborough site and the many local organisations that supported the initiative. We’re incredibly proud of everyone who contributed their time, creativity and expertise to make it happen.”