Dorset towns launch Poppy Appeal ahead of Remembrance Day

Ahead of Remembrance Day services, towns and villages across Dorset held events to launch the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

On Saturday 25 October, Ferndown marked the Poppy Appeal launch with a parade along Penny’s Walk. Led by Bournemouth Youth Marching Band from the clocktower to The Barrington Centre, the parade featured members of Ferndown Town Council, local cadets, guides and scouts, and the area’s MP Sir Christopher Chope.

Following a service which included speeches by the Mayor of Ferndown, Cllr Lawrence Wilson, and Sir Chope, there was a free concert performed by Bournemouth Youth Marching Band inside The Barrington.

Outside of the centre is the town’s new poppy display, which features over 2,500 poppies knitted and crocheted by residents over the past few months. The display stands as a tribute created by the local community to honour and remember Britain’s fallen heroes.

On the same day in Wimborne Minster, the Poppy Appeal launch featured a parade of military vehicles. The Mayor of Wimborne Minster, Cllr Jeff Hart, launched the appeal in The Square by buying the first poppy.