Praise for our army of readers as ‘Tommy in Window’ raises £1m
THOUSANDS of Mail on Sunday readers have been thanked by the veterans’ charity behind the ‘Tommy in the Window’ campaign for helping to raise more than £1 million.
The Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) asked the public to buy Tommy figurines and stickers and put them in windows on May 8 for the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
British soldiers in both world wars were known as Tommies.
After The Mail on Sunday featured the 10in Tommy silhouette, orders for the window stickers and clear plastic figures soared as people who were unable to join street parties and celebrations found a way to pay their respects.
Steve Sherry, the RBLI’s chief executive, said: ‘We wanted to thank Mail on Sunday readers for their support in helping us reach this incredible fundraising milestone. The Tommy in the Window campaign is about celebrating our national heroes and coming together in this difficult time, and it’s heartwarming to see how the British people continue to think of and support our veterans, no matter the circumstance.’
So far, more than 40,000 commemorative Tommy products have been sold. The funds will be used to support the UK’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged military veterans both at the RBLI’s Centenary Village in Kent and with projects and programmes throughout the country.
Mr Sherry said: ‘In challenging times like these, we have an even greater responsibility to support those who supported us and our country.’
The Tommy figures and stickers are still available to buy from the rbli.co.uk website.