Pupil spends her holiday making wooden poppies for classmates
A PUPIL in Yorkshire has spent her half-term making personalised wooden poppies for 120 children and staff at her school to support this year’s Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
Leigh-Taylor Arundale, a Year 5 pupil at Fulneck School, in Leeds, is also busy taking more orders from family and friends to raise money for the cause.
The poppies are hand-painted and include the name of the person who buys one, with the materials and paint used having all been donated by companies impressed by the nine-year-old’s hard work.
She said: “I have been making my own poppies for the last four years because I wanted to do something for all the brave servicemen and women who have helped our country and the families who have lost their loved ones.
“It has taken me ages to do this, but I am really proud of what I have achieved.”
Fulneck School’s principal Deborah Newman added: “The creativity, imagination and caring nature of our wonderful pupils never ceases to amaze me. For Leigh-Taylor to have spent her entire holidays doing this is quite incredible and I hope her efforts will inspire others to support similar worthwhile initiatives.”
This year’s Armistice Day commemorations have special poignancy for all those connected with the school. It is currently raising money to build a new cricket pavilion in memory of former pupil and war hero Major William Booth.
The talented batsman and bowler was killed during the First World War on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, July 1, 1916. He was a major in the West Yorkshire Regiment and his death meant his promising sporting career was cut short.
A sizeable bequest left by the Booth family will help fund a replacement building, to be known as the Major William Booth Cricket Pavilion. But because there is a £20,000 funding shortfall, the private school is now undertaking a series of activities to raise the rest of the money.