On 26 and 27 November, more than
50 LSE students fought the wind and rain to participate in dismantling the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red poppy display at the Tower of London. It was one of the most popular volunteering opportunities ever offered at the Volunteer Centre and we were delighted to see the response rate and fantastic work that LSE students carried out. Groups of students were tasked with different areas of the moat and one group managed to dismantle 4,500 in their three hour shift, an incredible effort!
We were overwhelmed by the positive and touching feedback from the LSE students who took part. Below are just a few of their thoughts.
Consuela Parvescu said, “I was proud and very honoured to be granted the chance to feel part of this once in a lifetime event. It was a very humbling and breathtaking experience, absolutely worth the cold and the rain.”
Julian Wyss told us, “Removing the flowers one-by-one and reflecting on the life that each flower commemorated gave me a better perspective of the immense human cost of WWI. While it was a sombre experience, it also felt nice to be part of an effort to remember those killed.”
Mohammad Shah said, “It goes without saying that I found volunteering to be an incredibly enjoyable experience. It was an amazing opportunity to meet LSE students outside of the usual work/career context and contributing to such an incredible work of art that has truly captured the imagination of the public, was an experience that I am unlikely to forget.”
Allie Rosenberg said, “I volunteered at The Tower of London on Wednesday. It was such an incredible and humbling experience, and I was really struck by the magnitude of the project (and its symbolic meaning) as I helped with the deconstruction.”
Samira Ali, Poppy Volunteer Coordinator for the project, said, “A huge THANK YOU for your help and cooperation towards the Tower of London Remembers Project. You helped us greatly and we’re grateful for your support. Please forward our thanks to the students, they did an amazing job and made a huge difference towards the final stages of the project.”
To see photos of the two days please see our Facebook album and for a social media overview, see our Storify.
If you have been inspired by the work that these LSE students have completed then check out the LSE Volunteer Centre and our one-off programme.
