AT the start of 1918, three years before the British Legion held their first Poppy Appeal, the Red Cross Pearl Appeal was launched.

Lady Northcliffe, whose husband owned The Times and the Daily Mail, appealed to women to donate a pearl from their necklaces in the hope a single necklace could be created and sold to help wounded soldiers. The response from the grieving nation was overwhelming and 41 necklaces were created – raising £100,000. The Pearl Appeal was one of the most successful fundraising campaigns of the First World War.

Now Anne Kings from Gillingham is launching The Remembrance Pearl Appeal to help raise funds for the Poppy Appeal. “I need everyone reading this to help,” she said.

“We all know that the Poppy Appeal fund this year is going to struggle due to covid-19 regulations, so maybe we can steal the idea from what happened in 1918 and do a similar thing in this time of exceptional circumstances – 100 years later. I know many people have little trinket boxes somewhere in the home which hold odd leftover pearls, which have been collected over the years.

“Now could be the time to sort out those little boxes. If you are reading this and are someone who would be willing to part with a single pearl then these will be strung into beautiful pearl necklaces, which will be auctioned at a later date, with the funds raised going to the Poppy Appeal.”

“And who knows, you may be lucky and own one for yourself, or buy one for someone special, when these beautiful necklaces are ready to be sold. There couldn’t be necklaces with more meaning!” Anne added: “Every one will be unique, pearls will not match in quality, colour, shape or size but in a way this will add to the charm and all will be beautiful.”

Send your pearls to The Remembrance Pearl Appeal The Copy Shop, High Street, Gillingham SP8 4QT before December 20. Or The Post Office, 12 High Street, Gillingham SP8 4RZ
Allum and Sidaway are the jewellers who will thread the pearls. For any more information email abnekings2@btinternet.com

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