Some of the butterflies created by the children involved

Butterflies have fluttered into Preston’s Harris Library and Art Gallery to mark the start of Armed Forces Day celebrations.

A mile of poppy silk donated to schoolchildren across Preston and Lancashire has been used to create the community art installation.

Chair of the Preston Armed Forces Group Jacky Hohol said: “Armed Forces Group are here to serve and support veterans and their families and to raise awareness of our services in this way is excellent.

“We have loved working with so many other groups and will definitely be looking for more opportunities to raise awareness of our services and armed forces.

“We have a fabulous committee including Lee Griffiths from The Poppy Factory and we’re very grateful to have been offered the poppy silks to work with. The schools involved stepped up to the mark very quickly, seeing them have fun whilst learning is fantastic.”

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The Preston Poppies exhibition is now on display at the Harris until Monday 27 June.

It showcases the work of the schoolchildren to create butterflies and attach them to poppy silks.

Kids begin the painting of the butterflies

Becky Steel from UCLan’s centre for volunteering and community leadership who helped organise the project said: “The idea for Preston Poppies was inspired by artist Cornelia Parker’s ‘War Room’ using poppy silks in an extraordinary display. Our student volunteers along with volunteers from the charities involved have worked incredibly hard to deliver this project in less than three months.

“In that time we’ve worked with over a thousand school children who’ve put lots of time and effort into designing and creating almost two thousand butterflies put together in this exhibition by military veterans from Dig In.

“Preston Poppies provided the opportunity for different generations to work together and learn about the important role of our armed forces throughout history whilst developing a prominent art installation based on both remembrance and celebration.”