High Storrs: Sheffield school knits poignant permanent poppy display for Remembrance Day

The community of High Storrs School has come together to create their own poppy cascade on school grounds in time for November 11.

Staff, students, parents and grandparents, and even past pupils along with the local Bents Green Church and WI all put their skills to use or even learned from scratch so they could knit and crochet the flowing red exhibition.

The monumental effort began in July under the stewardship of staff member Mandy Stephens, who often put in an hour a day crafting at her dining table.

Mandy said: “I love the way yarn bombing can change a space and knew we would be coming up to Remembrance Day when our installation would be complete and so it seemed to decide for us.

Knitting and crochet are often done in groups and stories are shared whilst doing this. I hoped that lots of grannies, grandads, mums and uncles would be able to teach the students how to knit or crochet wihilst sharing what Remembrance Day meant to them.”

Donations have been pouring in for weeks. Mandy says one parent made a poppy a day over the summer holidays, and even more appeared at the house post box on school grounds, many sadly without a name attached.

Mandy said: “The donations of poppies have been amazing and its been a real privilege to work with so many different poppies and look at the stitches close up. You would be amazed at how many different ways there are to make a poppy.

“The best part was hearing how proud the students were of the person who had made the poppies, which led to some great conversations and now seeing students showing their friends what their family and community have worked together to achieve.”

Headteacher at High Storrs School Claire Tasker said the display will stay up as a permanent addition.