Shadow soldiers appear across Park and Arbourthorne in "important" tribute to the armed forces
“British soldiers, Commonwealth soldiers, people from all over the world fought to give us the freedoms that we've got now”
More than £2,000 has been raised for armed forces charities from one part of Sheffield being “emblazoned” with poppies and shadow ‘Tommy’ soldiers.
Sheffield City Councillor Matt Smith for the Park and Arbourthorne ward arranged for seven shadow ‘Tommy’ soldiers to be put up in the local area for Remembrance Sunday (November 8) and Armistice Day (November 11).
Six of the 'Tommy' statues, slang for a common British soldier, were sponsored by the council's ward funding, and one was donated by a local business.
Councillor Smith said the silhouettes represent the unknown soldier or women that supported the war effort back home.
“Remembrance is such an important time of year,” he said. "They're a tribute to those that lost their lives, gave their time and came back with horrible injuries, as well as those are often forgotten.
“All the suffering that went into actually defending this country, I think it often gets lost. Between 1940 and 1941, there was a time when Britain was the only remaining significant European country left standing.
"We were on our own, and because of those individuals, including British and from the Commonwealth, they were part of the big effort to give us the freedoms that we now have and often take for granted.
The Reform UK councillor said the reaction from his community has been “really great” and “it's just lovely to hear everyone's reactions.”
"I've had loads of emails about how Gleadless Common and Manor have been emblazoned with poppies, which is really nice to hear. "
In total he thinks the ward has raised more than £2,000 for the Royal British Legion after putting up around 100 poppies, and Royal British Veterans Enterprise (RBVE) with the silhouette soldiers.
The Royal British Legion is an armed forces charity which provides lifelong support to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families and the RBVE creates jobs and builds accessible homes for veterans with physical or mental health challenges.
Coun Smith said: “The red poppy represents the bloodshed. Everyone's blood is red.
“I'd like to see, in the future, people stopping with these controversial debates about the poppy not covering everyone, when it absolutely does.
“British soldiers, Commonwealth soldiers, people from all over the world fought to give us the freedoms that we've got now.”
Coun Smith said he would be at the cenotaph in the city centre on Sunday, and on Remembrance Day itself, he had been invited to visit pupils at a local secondary school.
He said: “Whether it's a small service this Sunday or down in town for the big event, as we get further and further on from those times, 80 years on now or more and 107 from the First World War.
“It gets really important to just put more effort in each year to remember and pass that remembrance onto the next generation who hopefully will do the same thing."