FAITH IN THE COMMUNITY: Poppies will help us to recall wartime sacrifices
POPPIES are one of the most powerful symbols of the sacrifices so many people made in wartime.
You probably know that the use of the poppy originates from the First World War, when the red poppy was the only sign of life in the muddy fields of Flanders. After the war it was adopted as a sign of remembrance of lives lost and hope for the future.
So to recall those sacrifices this year, those connected with Christ Church, Portsdown, are creating thousands of poppies that will be used in an exhibition that starts on October 19. We’ve been crafting poppies for months, researching in our local community, and creating displays to adorn the inside and outside of the church.
Christ Church is an ideal location for this, as it was a garrison church for the troops before they departed for the D-Day landings. We have two beautiful D-Day windows and a military cemetery that the War Graves Commission maintain immaculately.
Our exhibition will include information about the role of the Commonwealth, service animals, the origins of the poppy, war poetry, D-Day. VE Day and VJ Day, and many other features. The poppies will be crafted into cascades, walkways, a lone soldier and a cenotaph arrangement.
The opening ceremony will be at 4pm on October 19, at Christ Church, on London Road, and will be accompanied by the RN Volunteer Band from HMS Collingwood.
Come and see it between Monday 20th October and Saturday 8th November, every day between 10am and 3pm, except Sundays. Lunchtime activities are held between 12noon and 2pm. Entrance is free, and light refreshments are available. The church is accessible and you can find out more on www.portsdown-purbrook.org.
One of the great things about creating a project like this is the community spirit it creates – lots of laughter, coming together to share ideas, teamwork to create exhibits, and talents shared that might otherwise have remained hidden.
We hope to share that community spirit with the new community in Newlands and Berewood, as we offer support to those who have moved into those new houses.
We’re working with their community group, parish council and external organisations already, and we hope to have more of a presence there in future by employing a pioneer minister to live on the estate and support the community.
CHRIST CHURCH, London Road, Widley, Portsmouth, PO6 3NB
By the Rev Coleen Jackson, curate, Portsdown and Purbrook