Volunteer To Plant Poppies At The Tower Of London

BethPH
By BethPH Last edited 116 months ago
Volunteer To Plant Poppies At The Tower Of London

towermoatpoppyTo commemorate the outbreak of the First World War and starting on 5 August, an installation of nearly 900,000 ceramic poppies will be planted in the moat at the Tower of London.

The installation, created by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper, is called ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ and consists of 888,246 ceramic poppies, each one representing a British or Colonial military fatality during the war. The last poppy will symbolically be planted on 11 November, Remembrance Day.

It's an ambitious project, and Historic Royal Palaces are looking for volunteers to help plant the poppies. To find out what's involved download the volunteer brief. You can sign up as an individual by completing the online form. Groups of volunteers should email poppyvolunteer@hrp.org.uk.

Relatives of soldiers who died in WWI can request their name be read out on a particular day so that they can be there to pay their respects.

The poppies themselves will eventually be available to buy for £25 each — the £15m raised (if all are sold) will be distributed amongst the Confederation of Service Charities (COBSEO), Combat Stress, Coming Home, Help for Heroes, the Royal British Legion and SSAFA (formerly the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association).

Don't miss your chance to take part in a spectacular commemoration of Britain at war.

Last Updated 25 July 2014