POPPY APPEAL 2018
POPPY APPEAL 2018 - AN OUTSTANDING RESULT!
Recently Director of Fundraising Claire Rowcliffe reported that the overall total for the 2018 Poppy Appeal has exceeded a whopping £50m!
Of course, the number will continue to rise over the coming months which is even better but passing this landmark is worthy of celebrating!
In 2018 we distributed:
- 7 million pins
- 7 million gold leaf poppies
- 33 million paper poppies
- 27,000 school packs
- 86,000 event poppies
- 130,000 wreaths
- 200,000 additional collection tins and seals
Claire said:
'It was an enormous effort and this tremendous achievement is the culmination of the great efforts from teams across fundraising, the organisation and of course our Membership and volunteers.
Every team, department, County and Branch has played their part and through brilliant collaboration we have collectively taken the Appeal to another level and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all involved for their contribution.
Building on this success, we will continue to collaborate to ensure that we continue to maximise the Appeal that is so important to our organisation, and the armed forces community'.
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POPPY APPEAL LAUNCH 2018
Despite threatening weather, this year's Poppy Appeal Launch in Benidorm was very well attended once again. After a stirring Parade of Standards, led by the Torrevieja Pipes and Drums, the ceremony began with a moving Act of Remembrance in front of an audience of more than 200 spectators, who stood in a deep and respectful silence.
The rain kept clear as, on behalf of the Royal British Legion, District North Spain, thanked the people of Benidorm for hosting the 2018 Poppy Appeal Launch. He also welcomed Ana Pellicer Perez, First Deputy Mayor of Benidorm; Elizabeth Bell, Vice Consul from the British Consulate in Alicante; Major Gary Allen, representing the British Military Attaché in Madrid; and Robin Hargrave, our Poppy Appeal Coordinator. After 7 years as the District Poppy Appeal Coordinator, during which time the collection has continued to grow, The Chairman thanked Robin for his commitment, dedication and hard work and wished him well for the future. He also welcomed 2 regular visitors from the Royal Hospital, Chelsea.
The Chairman spoke movingly about the meaning and relevance of the Poppy Appeal both in UK and here in Spain and emphasised the importance of Remembrance, ending by quoting John McCrae's famous and emblematic poem, In Flanders' Fields. Other speakers emphasised the closeness and collaboration between the British and Spanish people and thier many shared values.
The ceremony ended with the Standards being dipped once again as the audience stood to acknowledge the national anthems of the two countries.
See below for a selection of photographs of the event.
