Sea of poppies returns to Southwick for Sunderland's Remembrance commemorations 2022 after volunteers helped repair storm damage

The bright red knitted and crocheted poppies were made last year to brighten the area around the war memorial at Southwick Green, by volunteers from Wear Crafting Together, Sewing for Sanity and Just Let Your Soul Grow working with Southwick residents.

But after the netting they were attached to was damaged in the storms the city saw last Autumn, volunteers working with the SARA project have carefully restrung them onto new netting so that they can bloom again for the annual Remembrance commemorations this weekend.

SARA (Southwick Altogether Raising Aspirations project) was set up in 2020 to revitalise Southwick and help support residents in the area. The project which is based at Austin House on Shakespeare Street, Southwick, brings together Sunderland City Council, Northumbria Police, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue, Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit, Adult and Children's services, housing, education and health partners.

Southwick councillor and SARA representative, Councillor Alex Samuels said: "It's lovely to see the colourful poppy displays taking pride of place on the lamp posts surrounding war memorial on the Green once again.

"It was such a shame when they were damaged in the storms last year, but once again the community has come together and done us proud to recreate this colourful sea of poppies for Remembrance.

"We're really grateful to the volunteers who have so patiently sewn them all onto the new netting. They've done a brilliant job and it's really transformed the Green."