Skegness Poppy Appeal has launched its 2025 project - and is appealing to the public to get knitting now. Last year's display was around the Clock Tower and this year poppies will be draped from the 21-metre high Altitude 44 climbing frame. Skegness branch of the Royal British Legion believes they may need up to three times as many poppies as were around the Clock Tower. Louise Clarkson, secretary of the Skegness RBL, tells us more...
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00:00Skegness Poppy Appeal has launched its new project for 2025 and we're told it's
00:06going to be bigger and better this year. So much so that the Skegness branch of
00:14the Royal British Legion want you to get knitting now. We spoke to Louise Clarkson
00:21the Secretary of the Skegness branch to tell us more. We usually don't think
00:27about the Poppy Appeal until October but in Skegness you're not giving anyone
00:34any time are you after the last project? Well we gave them Christmas off so I think that's fair enough.
00:42But no we're not we are already planning for our display for 2025. Now there's a
00:50big event on at the weekend isn't there? Can you tell me about that? Yes so what
00:56of the things that we got feedback from in 2024 was a lot of people would love
01:01to have knitted some poppies but they don't know how and neither myself or
01:05Tracy were capable and so the lovely ladies from Knit and Natter in Borough
01:11have volunteered to come in on Saturday into the unit and show people how to
01:16knit a poppy. We've got the wool, we've got the needles, we just need those
01:20people. And it is the last time isn't it that the Poppy Shop will be in the
01:26Hildred Centre so it's a big day isn't it for you there? It's been so wonderful
01:32we've been so lucky to be gifted that unit. It has been a community hub, it's
01:38brought so many people together, people have met people and we've made
01:41friendships. So yeah it's our last last day in there so hopefully we'll make it
01:46a good one, a big one. But you will be moving on won't you to somewhere else?
01:53Yes not 100% sure where but if there's another unit comes available we will be
01:58loaned it again so we're not disappearing we may just be paused for a
02:04few weeks. Yeah well we'll keep in touch and let everybody know when that
02:10announcement's being made. It's been an incredible appeal hasn't it sort of
02:15for the people that don't know and I can't think of anyone who doesn't
02:21about the magnificent display around the clock tower and this year
02:28can you tell everyone where it's gonna go? So it is going on altitude 44 and
02:34altitude 44 is the huge climbing abseiling frame that is on the
02:41seafront just on the parade there and it's I can't remember exactly how high
02:46but it's yeah 21 meters I looked it up so that's pretty high isn't it? I'm not
02:54going to be one of the people that goes up it. Yeah Skegness's own go ape isn't it?
02:59attraction so yeah so I don't think people will miss it when when he goes up
03:05there. It's bigger than any of the nets we used on the clock tower so yeah yeah
03:12so and if you remind everyone how many poppies are around the clock tower?
03:1937,082. Yeah and I'm told you're gonna need at least twice and maybe triple
03:24that number this year. Possibly yes well it's January the 14th and I've already
03:31got 1,500 given to me so you know. So you've made a start okay well hopefully
03:40everyone will come along to the poppy shop at the Hildreth Centre on Saturday
03:44what time do you open? 10 o'clock until 3 I think or 4 I can't remember. Okay good
03:53luck with it all and everybody get down there.