2019 Shropshire Poppy Appeal launches
This year's Shropshire Poppy Appeal was launched at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital last week, the hospital has close ties with the military due to their Veterans' Orthopaedic Service.
At the launch, The Royal British Legion encouraged the nation to recognise the unseen service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces, past and present. Throughout this year’s Poppy Appeal the Legion will be shining a spotlight on the many hidden contributions made by the Armed Forces community every day.
Gathered for the launch were both current serving and former serving members of the Armed Forces, all of which either live within or have served in Shropshire.
Sarah Kerr, the Armed Forces Outreach Support Coordinator for Shropshire Council, who works closely with the Royal British Legion, said; “Each day our Armed Forces provide an incredible service to our country in all kinds of ways, many of which we don’t necessarily see, but all of which impact our lives. The unseen sacrifices they make on our behalf deserve to be recognised so wear your poppy with pride and show your support for our Armed Forces community, past and present.
“Every donation received will make a real difference not only to the lives of Service men and women and veterans, but to their families as well who can also experience difficulties dealing with the circumstances of a loved one who is serving.”
The fundraising target in Shropshire is £555,000. The money raised will enable the Legion to continue its vital work delivering life-long support to Service and ex-Service personnel and their families through hardships, injuries and bereavements. The Legion uses donations in many ways including providing crisis grants, sport and art based recovery programmes, specialist dementia care, lobbying the government on issues that affect our community and advising and supporting with benefits and money issues.
The Royal British Legion’s Community Fundraiser Jenny Robey said: “During the Poppy Appeal this year we want to raise awareness of the less well known work our Armed Forces do, and the unseen sacrifices and hidden contributions they make that many of us simply don’t get to see.
“From combating piracy and providing support during natural disasters, to working in collaboration with organisations such as the police to keep the nation safe, our Armed Forces are supporting us daily in a huge variety of ways. Keep an eye on our social media channels over the next few weeks to learn about the incredible achievements of our military in Shropshire with our #TheyStillGo campaign. You can follow us on Poppy Appeal Shropshire on Facebook or @ShropshirePoppy on Twitter.
“Life in the Armed Forces comes with unique challenges for those serving, and for their families, yet they are here for us every single day and always have been, so the Legion is here for them whenever they need us.”
Craig Macbeth, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Finance and Planning at RJAH, said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with The Royal British Legion to support the launch of the Poppy Appeal across Shropshire.
“RJAH is an organisation that really values its Armed Forces staff and patients. We run a thriving Veterans’ Orthopaedic Service and also launched a £1.5 million fundraising appeal for the UK’s first Veterans’ Centre.”
