Remembrance poppies to be projected onto Conisbrough Castle

18 July 2016....Volunteers and experts access the basement of Conisbrough Castle. The behind the scenes look at a part of the castle which is only accessable via a whole in the floor. Picture Scott Merrylees

The plan is part of commemorations to mark Remembrance Sunday and the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.

The illuminated poppy display will be projected on to the keep of the Norman building.

The event has been organised and co-ordinated by the team responsible for Conisbrough Music Fest and the Conisbrough section of the Tour de Yorkshire.

The Music Fest was attended by over 3,000 people in July this year and is one of many events planned for 2017.

Organisers applied for a £500 micro-grant from a community fund established by Doncaster Council and distributed by Doncaster West Development Trust.

They also launched a Crowdfunding appeal to raise the remaining £1,500 which reached the target in just a few days.

A Conisbrough born artist, Rachel Horne, was commissioned to do the poppy artwork, which was then made into the projection slides to be used for the display.

Illuminated poppy images will now be projected onto Conisbrough Castle between 7pm and 9.30pm on November 11, 12 and 13.

Crowds of people are expected to see the display over those three days

All extra money, raised through crowd funding and collections on the evenings of the events, is being donated to the Conisbrough and Denaby branch of the servicesmen’s charity, The Royal British Legion.

The lights will be switched on by a different person each night.

Injured Doncaster war veteran Ben Parkinson, who was awarded the MBE for his charity work, will be doing the honours on Remembrance Sunday evening.

“The support and interest from the local community has been overwhelming and we are absolutely delighted with the response,” said one of the organisers.