Heartfelt thanks to all the Poppy sellers for such dedicated service
Many kind hearts have collected poppies over the years for forces’ veterans and they continue with their sterling and dedicated service.
One such collecter is Andy Owens, 79, who is a Poppy Appeal collector for the district of Forrest Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
He has been involved with Poppy Appeal for around 30 years and said: “The things the RBL does for veterans who desperately need help is fantastic and that’s why it’s so important for people to show their support, especially after such a difficult year.”
Anne-Marie Cobley, 48, is a Poppy Appeal organiser in Newport, South Wales, who has carried on her family’s tradition of selling poppies.
Poppy Appeal organiser for more than ten years, AnneMarie, said: “The Royal British Legion is one of the charities where you know the money is going to the right place; listening to the stories from some of the beneficiaries that the RBL has helped makes me so emotional.”
Anne-Marie’s mother, Patricia Husslebee, aged 79, has been collecting for the Poppy Appeal for 65 years, only missing one year collecting due to an operation.
In 2012, Patricia was awarded the Newport City Extra Mile Award for her contributions to the Poppy Appeal and the Royal British Legion.
Speaking of her time collecting poppies with her father in the 1950s, Patricia said: “I can remember when I was a little girl, him taking me out selling poppies. He used to take me through the town, to the pub and the shops – but I had to wait outside the pub as I wasn’t allowed in.”
While Anne-Marie was born into a family who supported the Poppy Appeal, she is also fully behind the Royal British Legion and their work. She said: “It is something that I’ve been born into and I grew up with, but I don’t think you can dedicate time to it if it’s not a cause you don’t believe in.”
Billy Wilde 19, Poppy Appeal organiser for Cribbs Causeway, Bristol began volunteering for the Poppy Appeal when he was just five years-old.
He said: “I’ve got a huge passion for supporting our veterans and our Armed Forces, it’s really important and I just want to be able to do my part to help.”
David Kelsey, 61, has been a Poppy Appeal collector since 2007 and is now the Poppy Appeal organiser for Bournemouth.
David, also Mayor of Bournemouth, said: “I absolutely love it; I’ve got my own team of collectors here and we’ve got our stalls and every year we raise £2830,000.”
Army veteran Lesleyanne Gardener has been doing the Poppy Appeal in South Hylton (Sunderland) for almost ten years, alongside her husband Ian, because she wanted to ‘give something back’ after being supported by the RBL when a training accident left her seriously injured and needing support.
She said: “One of reasons I collect for the Poppy Appeal is to repay the support I had from the RBL when I left the Army. The RBL were very good and helped me massively.”
Maisie Mead, ten, is a Poppy Appeal collector in Plymouth and has been involved in the Poppy Appeal since the age of four, after her dad was injured and medically discharged when she was three years-old.
When asked what the poppy means to her, ten yearold Maisie said: “The poppy means you can remember and take some time for yourself for those who serve.
“Last year, all the soldiers have been helping with Covid and have been taken away from their families again, but I still wanted people to remember and make sure we all take a moment”.
Mirza Shahzad, 36, is the Regional coordinator of Ahmadiyya
Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) for the South-West of the UK and has been supporting the Poppy Appeal since he moved to the UK from Pakistan in 2012.
Mirza said: “AMYA and the elders group AMA are a section of Islam who believe in serving humanity, and that’s why we love to support charities such as the Royal British Legion.”
Vera Parnaby, from Consett, 81, has been a dedicated and committed poppy seller for more than seven decades and has raised well in excess of £1m for the Poppy Appeal.
After 75 years of dedication to the Appeal she has earned the nickname Mrs Poppy. In 2013 she deservedly received the chairman’s medal for her years of service.
She said: “I know Covid has hit people in their pockets, but please remember the service personnel who have made sacrifices for us. We look after families and the injured with the money that we raise every year, and when someone leaves the armed forces, they can rely on the RBL to help them get into civilian life, and the more we raise the more we can help.”
Cheryl Jones is the
Poppy
Appeal organiser for East Rotherham – she has been involved in the appeal for the last decade. This is her first year as an organiser.
Army veteran Cheryl, 52, was in the Royal Logistic Corps for 22 years and served in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
She said: “I am so excited to have taken over, I’m very proud to be running the appeal in East Yorkshire and I have to pinch myself sometimes.”
Mark Cockram served for 35 years in the Army. He joined up as a Junior Leader before he was 17 and then enlisted fully as a staff clerk. He left in the rank of Warrant Officer First Class.
A Poppy Appeal collector for 32 years he said: “I had no schooling and no education. The Army gave me my start in life. I met my wife through the Army and being part of the Armed Forces Community has given us and our family so many opportunities that I wanted to find a way for me to pay back that community.”