Residents from two Housing 21 schemes have come together to honour Remembrance Day by knitting hundreds of poppies to create striking displays in their communities.
In County Durham, residents at Retirement Living scheme, Avon Court, have knitted over 700 poppies to create a poppy wall at this year’s remembrance event taking place at the scheme.
Hazel Davis, Local Housing Manager at Avon Court, said: “We have ex-service personnel living on-site, wives of veterans- myself being a veteran’s wife.
“The idea was inspired by a Remembrance display spotted in 2024. When one of our residents was sadly taken into hospital, she began knitting poppies in different colours to represent remembrance for different causes.”
Meanwhile, in North Yorkshire Extra Care residents at Limestone View picked up their needles with equal enthusiasm, crafting hundreds of poppies to create a public display in Settle for Remembrance. What began as one resident’s idea soon became a community-wide project bringing together Limestone View residents, including those who hadn’t picked up knitting needles in years, as well as those who had never knitted before, along with members of the local community.
Eilish Askew, Assistant Care Manager at Limestone View said: “As part of the care team at Limestone View, it’s been incredibly heartwarming for us to take part in this project.
“Coming together with the residents, friends and families in the community to work together to produce a beautiful display. We have all benefitted from time spent together and for me personally, the added bonus of learning a new skill."
Housing 21 was established in 1964 to provide homes for older and disabled ex-servicemen and widows. The not-for-profit has its roots in the Royal British Legion, where all donations from this initiative will be directed.
