Fred Longworth High School in Tyldesley, Wigan, has unveiled a Waterfall of Poppies in its Memory Garden ahead of Remembrance Sunday. The tribute, made up of thousands of individual handmade poppies, was created by students and staff over several months.
Each poppy contains a unique message written by students, staff and members of the school community. The flowers were cut out, laminated and hole-punched before being attached to netting with cable ties, a task carried out by student librarians during their breaks and by students working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award after school.
Unveiling ceremony with Royal British Legion
The unveiling marked the beginning of the season of Remembrance at the school and was attended by the Royal British Legion. Parade marshal Keith Houghton MBE led the exhortation, the Last Post and a minute's silence.
Rowenna Hibbert, the school's resource centre manager who organised the project, said: "We wanted to create something special within our school community that would provide a fitting tribute to all those who have served, continue to serve and have sacrificed their lives for our country.
"Through this project, we wanted to allow our students, staff and wider community to show our appreciation and to honour Remembrance Day."
School commemorations continue
Headteacher Paul Davies added: "Throughout this period, our school community will come together to reflect on the sacrifices made by previous generations. Projects such as this help young people develop a deeper understanding of the service and sacrifices made by others and ensure that the importance of remembrance continues to be passed on to future generations.
"A number of our students will take part in the Remembrance Parade in Tyldesley on Remembrance Sunday, while our commemorations will culminate with a minute's silence at the eleventh hour on 11 November and the playing of the Last Post by one of our students. The Poppy Waterfall is a fitting tribute and a wonderful example of the pride, respect and community spirit shown by our students here at Freddie's."
