Striking poppy display raises £20,000 for charity

A poignant display of more than 110,000 poppies helped to raise almost £20,000 for the Royal British Legion (RBL), a council said.

The crocheted flowers ran the entire 1.33-mile (2.14km) length of Southend Pier in Essex to mark Remembrance Day.

Southend-on-Sea City Council said it had donated £10,000 to the RBL, which itself raised £9,573 through the event between 5-23 November.

Daniel Cowan, the authority's leader, said: "This event was a fitting tribute, along with the statue at the end of the pier, to all those brave people from Southend who lost their lives serving their country."

Donations of crocheted poppies poured in from across the world to support the project, which attracted about 34,700 visitors.

The council spent £122,143 setting up the event and took £151,000 in admissions.

"Our intention was always to make a donation from the profits of the Poppies on the Pier event," Cowan said.

"But until all the income and costs had been validated, it was difficult for us to commit to a specific figure.

"However, using preliminary figures, we're delighted that the event has been successful enough for us to more than match the donations that the RBL took."

More than 1,000 volunteers were involved in crafting, sewing and installation during the project.

In total, 4,872m (4.8km) of poppy chains were made and on the busiest day, 4,746 visitors came to see them.

The council has been exploring ways to display and preserve the poppies post-event.

Laura Gibbs, from the RBL, said: "We are extremely grateful for the significant donation from Southend-on-Sea City Council and for the opportunity to be part of such a moving and memorable project.

"The support shown throughout the event will make a real difference to the armed forces community."

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.