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The Royal British Legion (RBL) has launched its latest poppy appeal ahead of Remembrance Day in November in honour of Britain’s military veterans. Kick-starting today (October 23), organisers behind the national poppy appeal are hoping to raise more than £50 million to support members of the UK’s armed forces community. At any given point, the British charity is helping over 7,000 people from the Royal Navy, Army and the Royal Air Force, as well as veterans and their families with financial and emotional support. It varies in everything from supporting people with training accidents to providing mental health tools for UK veterans who have experienced battlefield trauma. According to Lucy Inskip, the RBL’s Poppy Appeal director, British veterans are approaching the charity every day seeking help, highlighting the importance of raising vital funds during the Poppy Appeal. “Every day, ex-service personnel and their families come to the Royal British Legion for support when they become overwhelmed with issues including addiction, debt, homelessness, PTSD and relationship breakdowns,” she said. She added: “When something goes wrong, the RBL is there to help rebuild lives and provide members of the armed forces community with the support they need to create a better future.” Although the government does provide some support to members of the military and veterans, past surveys show that military charities want the government to do more to support those fighting for the UK. The Chancellor recently announced a £33 million funding package would be allocated to support veterans over the next three years, but charities like the Royal British Legion fill a crucial gap in delivering additional support. They rely on the public's support to raise money each year. First founded in 1921, Ms Inskip says that the poppy appeal “brings the nation together and helps us raise vital funds needed to support the armed forces community”. In the run-up to Remembrance Day on November 11, poppies will be available across the UK. You can purchase a variety of designs, including the classic paper poppy or a metal pin, on the Royal British Legion website, with the proceeds donated to the fundraising effort. Usually, paper poppies are also available in most leading supermarkets, such as Tesco or Sainsbury’s, and veterans often stand on popular thoroughfares with poppies for sale. Otherwise, you can also get a poppy on London Poppy Day, taking place on October 30, when over 1,000 people collect donations at London tube stations and in corporate offices.
