Royal British Legion

Reading this note you may well be surprised to learn that the vast majority of the Poppy Appeal stock for this year’s appeal will arrive in early August to be checked and stored. We will have all the usual items, though there are some changes to what I would call “peripheral” items. We will have plenty of the ever-popular metal pins and the traditional single-leaf poppy. If you rummage in the poppy trays, you may well still find the old “traditional” poppy with the green plastic stem as we use up old stocks.

Last year we welcomed several new volunteers to help us, primarily at Waitrose, and we are always open to offers of help. One and a half hours in the entrance to Waitrose is a pleasant experience, engaging and talking to donors whether they give 1p or £20. As we say to children, it is the thought that counts as we help those who still suffer with effects of their active service.

Armed Forces Week in late June was an opportunity for us all to pay tribute to the men and women who currently serve in the armed services and are prepared to put their lives on the line for our freedom. I hope that if you came across or were involved in any event which showcased the many roles carried out by our service personnel, you were impressed.

How about the serving medical specialist who quite recently made his first ever tandem parachute jump at 3,000ft over open water in the South Atlantic, 3 miles off Tristan da Cunha, and then drifted towards a landing zone on dry land? That must count as a nerve-wracking, unusual and unexpected task. Having complete faith in your fully trained colleague equally shows the professionalism and skill of service personnel away from the normal duties one expects.

I have just received the official total of money raised in Trumpington and surrounding area as part of the 2025 Poppy Appeal: it is a staggering £24,501.57 (£202 more than the draft figure I quoted in the February Trumpet). Thank you all so much.

Edmund Brookes, 01223 840374