Annually the Poppy Appeal raises more than £90,000 in Jersey, and funds are used to support 5,000 local servicemen and women, along with their dependants.
In recent months Islanders have been busy making items for this year’s appeal in the hope of raising as much money as possible for the Royal British Legion.
The Poppy Shop, in Picquet House in the Royal Square, is now filled to the brim with badges, cushions, coasters and much more.
Lady Joan Birt, who has been volunteering in the shop for more than 15 years, said: ‘We wanted to sell many different things this year. There are lots of little unusual gifts and perfect stocking fillers, as well as plenty of items people can keep all year round.
‘I cannot explain how touching it is seeing how generous people have been. We have elderly people come in who have been collecting their coins all year and they give them all to us.
‘There are people who obviously have to watch their pennies and they are pouring them out to us.
‘This year we have tried to reach out to people to get them to come forward and get support. People don’t always ask for help because they don’t know what help is available. We want to share the message that we can help anyone who has served.’
Lady Birt, along with three other volunteers, travelled to Normandy to create special gifts this year.
She said: ‘We were given permission from the Préfet du Calvados and Préfet de la Manche to collect sand from the landing beaches.
‘I just thought it would be a nice thing to do, and having Normandy so close I thought it would mean a lot to have the sand collected from landing beaches.
‘We also picked poppies from the battlefields in Normandy and pressed them in-between old telephone books to make cards.’
She added: ‘We have a photograph of the moment we were liberated on coasters and tea towels and one lady came in and recognised her father in the picture – that was a really magic moment.’
Lady Anne Dalton, the wife of the Lieutenant-Governor, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, has also assembled a number of small wooden sailing boats for sale, while St Martin’s WI have made a number of pillows and tissue holders.
Meanwhile, about 1,500 hand-made poppies have been used to decorate the Central Market’s refurbished fountain. Some of the poppies will be sold and some will be kept to use in the future.
The Poppy Shop is open daily between 9 am and 5 pm. A Remembrance Sunday service is due to be held at the Cenotaph on Sunday from 11 am.
