Soldiers to appear in Poppy Appeal pictures

PORTRAITS of serving soldiers and veterans are among those that will feature in a photography exhibition to celebrate 90 years of the Scottish Poppy Appeal.

With 90 days to go until the November appeal, Poppyscotland has commissioned the renowned photographers Trevor and Faye Yerbury to create an exhibition featuring 90 portraits of people across Scotland.

The charity is appealing for those interested in featuring in the remembrance exhibition to come forward to tell their stories.

The exhibition will form a major part of the 2011 Scottish Poppy Appeal and will feature alongside a new TV advert and poster campaigns highlighting how veterans and their families benefit from the appeal.

Poppyscotland chief executive Ian McGregor said: "We are very enthusiastic about the 90 portraits exhibition.

"The Scottish Poppy Appeal has been helping ex-servicemen, women and their families for 90 years, and today it is needed more than ever.

"The exhibition gives us the opportunity to raise awareness of our work and bring together people from across Scotland to share their stories in a contemporary way."

He added: "It is the first time we have embarked on such a large venture but we feel it is the perfect way to enable the people of Scotland to share in the celebrations of the 90th anniversary."

Last year the Scottish Poppy Appeal raised a record 2.35 million, which is used to support veterans and their families living in Scotland through direct financial assistance to individuals and grants to specialist organisations.

Trevor Yerbury said: "We are delighted to have been commissioned by Poppyscotland to undertake this exciting project. To create 90 portraits in 90 days is a unique challenge."

The charity, then called the Earl Haig Fund Scotland, was founded in 1921 by Douglas Haig and involves armed service veterans in creating millions of poppy badges every years.