Forces charity again reaches landmark target.
Figures released today show generous West Midlands folk have dug deep to help The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal break the £3 million mark for the third year in a row.
Since the 2013 Poppy Appeal launched last October, people in the West Midlands have donated more than £3.1million to date, which will help the Legion continue providing direct welfare support and advice to the Armed Forces community. In Birmingham, over £300,000 has been donated so far, and the money keeps coming in with five months to go until the appeal year ends in September.
Schools, businesses and individuals across the West Midlands took on a range of fundraising initiatives to support the appeal – in Birmingham, the city played host to its very first Poppy Day, which saw five military bands plus soldiers, sailors, airmen, cadets, and 300 volunteers collecting for the appeal which raised £29,000 in 24 hours.
Claire Rowcliffe, Interim Head of Regional Fundraising at the Legion, is amazed by the support of people across the region. She said: “We are thrilled at the generosity of people in the West Midlands. It’s a great achievement to say we have broken the £3 million target for the last three years and even more poignant this year as we commemorate 100 years since Britain entered the First World War.
“Every penny raised will make a huge difference to Service personnel, veterans and their families, from helping a young widow through an inquest to representing injured Servicemen in their appeals for compensation. It’s vital we keep raising money to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.”
The Legion’s welfare programme runs year round and the charity spends £1.6 million a week in direct welfare support. A number of fundraising initiatives run outside of the Poppy Appeal including Honour walks and bike rides, challenge events and Poppy Picnics.
The Legion has launched a new Freephone number so if you need advice please call 0808 802 8080. For more information on the charity, visit www.britishlegion.org.uk