A COMMUNITY group in Malmesbury has contributed towards a textile display to commemorate the National Armed Forces Event hosted in Salisbury.

Community groups from 18 areas across Wiltshire were invited to be part of a county wide project to make the commemorative textile.

Riverside Community Centre’s Saturday Friends seniors group and Friends of Riverside were asked to make the contribution for the Malmesbury area.

Using the materials given, each area prepared an A3 size textile.

Kim Power, chairman of the Friends Of Riverside, said: “We were so pleased to take part in this community project.

“We worked with our Saturday Friends seniors group to produce a panel which represents the sacrifice by local people during the last two world wars and the contribution of radar which was developed and manufactured in Malmesbury during World War Two. Discussing these and working on the textile sparked childhood memories for many of our seniors and we hope it will be talking point for others.”

All 18 textiles were sewn together to form a ‘patchwork’ style hanging.

Wiltshire Council community engagement manager Ollie Phipps said: “The contribution by Malmesbury and the other areas to this community project were one of the highlights of the Armed Forces Event.

“Over 240,000 people attended the event over the weekend, but we wanted everyone to have a chance to see the completed textile hanging.”

As a lasting legacy, the community textile is being toured around the county until the end of 2020. It is currently on display at Malmesbury town hall until the end of July.