Warwick Poppies

The congregation of St Mary’s Church Warwick is attempting something similar by decorating the Church with 11,610 knitted or handcrafted poppies, donated by the community, to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War in November 2018.

In the 1914-1918 conflict, 11,610 men of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment lost their lives on the battlefields of France and Belgium. St Mary’s is the home of the Regiment’s Chapel, and the setting for the annual Regimental service. Warwick Poppies 2018 is our community tribute to those men, and women, who gave their lives in the service of our county and the nation.

The campaign to encourage local people to contribute their hand made poppies was launched by the Lord Lieutenant, Tim Cox, in September, and we already have thousands of handmade poppies sent in by Warwickshire children and schools, community groups, retirement homes, and individuals. We have also had poppies from all over the UK, and the world. Many local organisations are involved, including the Warwickshire Women’s Institutes, the Townswomen’s Guild, and the Court Leet. We have received support from the County, District and Town Councils, plus charitable groups and trusts.

The display will be opened next October 2018 with a Gala Fundraising Dinner and other events, and will be open daily until early December. Any donations made by visitors will be split between the Royal British Legion Poppy appeal and St Mary’s.

Please help us
On our website, www.warwickpoppies.org.uk, you will find knitting patterns, craft ideas and background information on the campaign. There is a network of “Poppy Drop” stations in the local area where you can leave your poppies for us to collect, and we can also supply “Poppy making kits” to enable anyone in the family to make a simple poppy from felt cut-outs.

Contact us:
Email us at contact@warwickpoppies.org.uk or call the Parish Office on 01926 403940 to find out more, or to add your details to our mailing list for regular updates.