Service charities to receive funding from Tower of London event

Thousands of ceramic poppies are set to appear in the Tower of London's moat later this year, marking 100 years since World War One.

According to Historic Royal Palaces, this installation, featuring in excess of 800,000 ceramic flowers, is set to begin August 5th and end November 11th this year.

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, as it is called, is the work of Paul Cummins, a ceramic artist and Tom Piper, a stage designer.

The Ceramic poppies involved are going to go on sale, each one costing £25, with this sale starting once the installation is underway.

A variety of service charities are going to be sharing the proceeds, which it is hoped will come to more than £15 million.

Combat Stress, Confederation of Service Charities, Help for Heroes, Coming Home, SSAFA and Royal British Legion are the charities involved in the project.

"Combat Stress is honoured to be a charity partner in the Tower's thought-provoking programme marking the centenary of the First World War," commented the charity's director of fundraising and communications, Tim Brawn.

"Combat Stress has supported over 100,000 Veterans affected by psychological wounds since 1919, and our work is as vital today as it was then," he added.

The charity is helping more than 5,400 UK veterans at present, Mr Brawn went on, with this number growing.

The Tower of London is a location with a lengthy military history and the forthcoming installation is set to provide a powerful way of reminding people about the commitment of people who go into service, he explained.

The First World War took place between July 1914 and November 1918. Britain became involved on August 4th 1914, meaning the installation will begin on the anniversary of its first full day participating in the war.