THE Somerset Poppies, a remembrance event involving nearly 4,000 children, takes place this November at The Bishop's Palace, Wells.

Almost 8,000 silk poppies will be displayed, each one representing a Somerset serviceman who lost his life during the First World War. Every poppy will have been created by children from 19 schools in and around Wells, with every child in each school having taken part.

The poignant and moving display will be free to view between November 11 and 25, and poppies are available for sale, to pre-order for £5, at www.somersetpoppies.co.uk Dan Vidler, a teacher at Coxley School, who is organising the project, believes that children of all ages should have the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of remembrance through participation, reflection and research. He said: "Wearing a poppy each November is important, but for many children, that's where their involvement ends.

"We hope that with children of all ages taking part, they'll be able to recognise the scale of loss for our county 100 years ago, learning more about remembrance through educational resources designed for each age group.

"As well as feeling a sense of pride in contributing to one of the largest commemoration events involving children in the country, we hope the learning and understanding that children develop will have a lasting impact."

Alongside the educational and artistic aims of the project, the final outcome will be to raise money for the two charities: Wells branch of the Royal British Legion and SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, through the sale of poppies.

"The whole project would not have been possible without the financial support we have received, offered generously by Wells City Council, Wells branch of the Royal British Legion, David Wilson Homes and Wells Civic Society, as well as many local businesses, all of which are listed on our Facebook page," said Dan.

"We are extremely grateful to every organisation that has sponsored The Somerset Poppies, as well as to The Bishop's Palace for kindly hosting the event."

There is an opportunity to view the display before it opens on November 11 by buying tickets to a 'Preview' event, on the evening of November 10, where the poppies will be displayed under floodlights with children from local choirs singing songs from the First World War era. Tickets cost £15 and only 100 are available to buy from The Bishop's Palace Shop or online at ticketsource.co.uk/thebishopspalace