Armistice Day: Mottingham dad raises money for Royal British Legion

Raymond Webber, 41, is a keen wood burner and has been creating his own designs for years – but this year he decided to make something to commemorate fallen soldiers.

The dad-of-four who has lived in Mottingham for 20 years told News Shopper he first began to carve the poppy as a piece of artwork he could keep.

“It was just going to be a personal thing. But it grew so fast.”

The finished product is a layered poppy painted with the silhouettes of soldiers on the battlefield.

When a fellow wood burner advised Mr Webber to try and raise some money with the poppy, his wife posted a photo of the stunning creation on Facebook and managed to raise £50.

“I got a fantastic response from the local residents and beyond. I was absolutely overwhelmed.”

After finishing the poppy, Mr Webber took his artwork to the Royal British Legion on Armistice Day to meet some of the Legion members and former veterans.

“I’d never been there before but I got a great reception from the guys there.

“They made me feel very welcome. They were such nice people.”

Mr Webber then delivered the poppy to its new owner, Nick Davis in Chislehurst.

Nick Davis from Chislehurst bought the poppy after seeing it on Facebook

“It has gone to an absolutely fantastic home. I couldn’t have wanted it to go to a better place,” he told News Shopper.

He described how making the poppy and raising money for the RBL had reminded him of the importance of commemorating fallen soldiers and ex-servicemen.

“I just feel like the generation today have lost their way. They don’t understand what had been given to us today and it’s sad.”

The brilliant reception Mr Webber has received has inspired him to keep working on projects surrounding remembrance – although he is tight-lipped about the details.

“There is something else in the pipeline which is going to be a lot bigger.”