The Royal British Legion is looking for Poppy volunteers from across Southampton.

As the Royal British Legion celebrates its centenary in 2021, they are once again calling for volunteers to serve as Poppy Appeal collectors. These collectors will cover several areas, including Southampton.

The Royal British Legion is the UK’s largest charity dedicated to supporting the needs of the Armed Forces Community and championing the remembrance of those who gave up their lives so that we could live ours.

Last year, the Royal British Legion lost millions of pounds after face-to-face donations were cancelled for the first time in the charity’s history, due to the pandemic.

Claire Smith, Community Fundraiser for South Hampshire, said: “We really want to thank everyone across our region who got involved and supported the Poppy Appeal in 2020, unfortunately we have seen a reduction in the number of our collectors following the pandemic, with many still anxious about returning to their normal way of life, but the RBL still has a job to do and we are optimistic that the Appeal will look very different again this time around.

“The RBL’s work is even more vital than ever as we support people from all generations who have new hardships as a result of Covid -19, which has had a devastating impact on people’s livelihoods right across South Hampshire, leaving some in our Armed Forces community in dire need of help and support.” Claire added: “Every year our Poppy Appeal collectors play a critical role across the county to meet the huge public demand for our poppies, the nation’s symbol of Remembrance.

“The Appeal raises about half of the funds we need for our welfare work every year and we will launch the Appeal on October 28, but there is a lot of planning before that date, of course. Anyone who volunteers will receive lots of support and enjoyment from taking part.”