How did it expand?
The idea was simple with very few guidelines. All poppies were to be made of recycled and/or recyclable materials. No damage was to be caused by displays to property or persons. Each team was autonomous in their design of displays and how they featured them and responsible for them being put up and taken down. Permission had to be sought from property owners for displays to be installed.
10 teams approached us. Some were simply individuals, others were friends or colleagues and then there were organisations such as the Guides, Brownies and Rainbows. Each team picked their own area in Coldstream and they had nearly a full year to make as many poppies as they could and then display them from the 1st November until the day after Remembrance Sunday.
Alongside this, in August 2014, Honour Our Troops had marked the beginning of World War One (during Coldstream Civic Week) with a Candlelight consisting of hand painted Poppy Jars in and around the War Memorial. As it was non-denominational we met a lot of people that do not usually attend Remembrance Sunday and there was a quiet hush of respect as over 200 people came to light their candle and place it in front of the War Memorial. Each year on Armistice Night we have continued the Candlelight and we raise on average £60 which is reinvested into The Poppy Project and used for materials that we simply cannot get by donation. This is the only funding The Poppy Project receives as we encourage people to donate to Poppy Scotland and the Poppy Appeal if they like our displays.
Between 2015 and 2017 we expanded the teams by being approached, to 16 in total, and we are hoping that this year (our final year) that we may be joined by other willing volunteers. Along with the display teams there is a veritable army of crocheters, knitters and crafters who work in the background all year to create the elements that make up the displays. At our last count this was over 100 people. They don’t want to be a part of the team, but are willing to do the work unseen and unheard. Without them none of our teams could display as much as we do.
From 23rd October to 13th November 2017 we had over 30,000 poppies on display in Coldstream, all handcrafted and all made from materials which were recycled and/or recyclable.
We are over the moon in 2018 to be helping Kelso and we have helped to kickstart Dunoon who will have their first ever displays!
10 teams approached us. Some were simply individuals, others were friends or colleagues and then there were organisations such as the Guides, Brownies and Rainbows. Each team picked their own area in Coldstream and they had nearly a full year to make as many poppies as they could and then display them from the 1st November until the day after Remembrance Sunday.
Alongside this, in August 2014, Honour Our Troops had marked the beginning of World War One (during Coldstream Civic Week) with a Candlelight consisting of hand painted Poppy Jars in and around the War Memorial. As it was non-denominational we met a lot of people that do not usually attend Remembrance Sunday and there was a quiet hush of respect as over 200 people came to light their candle and place it in front of the War Memorial. Each year on Armistice Night we have continued the Candlelight and we raise on average £60 which is reinvested into The Poppy Project and used for materials that we simply cannot get by donation. This is the only funding The Poppy Project receives as we encourage people to donate to Poppy Scotland and the Poppy Appeal if they like our displays.
Between 2015 and 2017 we expanded the teams by being approached, to 16 in total, and we are hoping that this year (our final year) that we may be joined by other willing volunteers. Along with the display teams there is a veritable army of crocheters, knitters and crafters who work in the background all year to create the elements that make up the displays. At our last count this was over 100 people. They don’t want to be a part of the team, but are willing to do the work unseen and unheard. Without them none of our teams could display as much as we do.
From 23rd October to 13th November 2017 we had over 30,000 poppies on display in Coldstream, all handcrafted and all made from materials which were recycled and/or recyclable.
We are over the moon in 2018 to be helping Kelso and we have helped to kickstart Dunoon who will have their first ever displays!