A THURROCK community champion is calling on people across the borough to help a local store make Remembrance extra special this year despite the problems of Covid-19.

Tarnya Bennett is the community champion at the Grays Morrisons store and her aim is to to gather together thousands of poppies to make a large display descending from the tower outside the store to the ground – and they will be floodlit in red.

Earlier this year the store was lit up in blue to honour the efforts of emergency service workers during the Covid pandemic and now Tarnya hopes to make the store the scene of another public tribute.

She says: "Coronavirus has made things very difficult and we know there are going to be limited public ceremonies this year.

"So I am calling on local people to donate poppies of all shapes and sizes an materials. They can be made from plastic bottle bottoms, knitted, cardboard or tissue paper. They can even be pictures of poppies, it doesn't matter.

"I would like as many as possible. I have a pattern available for knitting or crocheting either to pick up from store or I can email it out.

"I need as many as possible. To fill the space I need will take thousands! I'm hoping that as there's no parade this year the community will get involved and come together to create this beautiful tribute.

"All poppies can be brought into the store and left at the customer service desk, the last date to have your poppy included in the display will be 28 October and the display will go up on 1 November."

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Tarnya can be contacted via the store's [L] https://www.facebook.com/Morrisons-Grays-Community-Champion-101613788335880 [.L+]Facebook page.[.L]