EVERY school in the UK will receive a pack of poppy seeds to mark the centenary of the First World War thanks to an educational initiative by The Royal British Legion.

The project has been made possible by a £100,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and was launched in the garden of No.10 Downing Street by the Prime Minister and pupils from The Cathedral School of St. Saviour and St. Mary Overie, Southwark.

POPPIES2As part of the Legion’s Centenary Poppy Campaign, this National Lottery-funded project will enable schools across the UK to plant the poppies in their grounds as a gesture of remembrance, helping pupils learn about the First World War.

The poppy seeds arrived in schools accompanied by a booklet entitled Remembrance and the Poppy: Past, Present and Future, which highlights the poppy’s heritage, traditions and its relevance in today’s society.

In addition to the seeds, the HLF grant will see 550 volunteer “Remembrance Ambassadors” trained over the next year with the goal of helping young people to explore the many stories of the First World War and increase their understanding of remembrance and the significance of the poppy.

The Ambassadors will be working with schools, community groups, religious groups and home educator forums to provide a lasting legacy of remembrance education and understanding through the centenary period and beyond.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “This Poppy initiative is a great idea that will help the next generation understand the significance of what happened during the First World War and commemorate the sacrifice of those who died.”

The Legion’s Centenary Poppy Campaign aims to cover the UK with poppies during the centenary period. Packets of Flanders poppy seeds are available in B&Q stores nationwide, with £1 from each packet being donated to the Legion.

Go to www.britishlegion.org.uk to find out more.

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