SALISBURY-BASED charity Alabare has teamed up with Sewing Soldier Lieutenant Colonel Neil Stace to create a new exhibition.

Flags of Thanks takes place during the week long build up to the 2019 National Armed Forces Day celebrations hosted in Salisbury.

From today (Monday, June 24) until Sunday (June 30), the public are invited along to view more than 1,000 flags that will be displayed at St Thomas’s Church.

The flags have been created by people from across the UK and further afield.

After the exhibition, the public will be able to sponsor having a flag made into a practical item, such as a sleeping bag or quilt. Their sponsorship will go towards Alabare’s Homes for Veterans, helping to change the lives of Armed Forces Veterans who are homeless and vulnerable.

Lt Col Neil Stace, also known as the Sewing Soldier following his appearance on the BBC’s Sewing Bee, has been spearheading the project, running workshops with schools and community groups and will be transforming the flags into quilts, sleeping bags and ponchos.

He said: “It has been a privilege to support Alabare in their Flags of Thanks project. We have been overwhelmed by the amazing designs that we have received and such heartfelt messages of thanks. We are excited to share what is sure to be a moving tribute to our armed forces.”

For more go to flagsofthanks.org