The 2007 Poppy Appeal
| Published: 6th November 2007 00:21 |
Poppy Man,
the symbolic representation of the help The Royal British Legion gives to currently serving and ex-Service people and their families.
The 2007 Poppy Appeal comes at a crucial time for The Royal British Legion. This year once again, events in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown us the very high human cost of conflict, and it is clear that the work of The Royal British Legion is needed now more than ever.
It is clear that the current environment of high deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan is impacting the Legion's caseload. Over the last year the number of beneficiaries of our work aged 35 or under has increased by 30%. This strongly points to a growing need for our services among younger serving and ex-Service people.
Craig (Freddie) Lundberg from Liverpool was badly injured in Iraq in March 2007 in a rocket-propelled grenade attack. He was blinded as a result and almost lost his left arm.
He says: "I'm really supportive of the Legion and the work it does. My experiences have shown me that, as a soldier, you just don't know what the future holds and when you might need to ask for help. It's great to know that the Legion is there to help people like me throughout my life and I know that the time will come when I will be asking for their help."
Tina Thompson's husband Mick was killed in a road accident in Cyprus on his way to work in July 2005. Mick had been in the Army since 1980, serving in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq, Tina and their four-month old son Aidan were left behind. The Royal British Legion has been supporting Tina through her tribunals in order to help her secure a war widow's pension.
She says: "The Legion has been really helpful, very approachable. I've been able to ring them if I've had a problem. I know it's meant a lot to all of Mick's family. I'd ask everyone to help support the Poppy Appeal this year and to wear their Poppy with pride. "
Russell Thompson, Director of National Events and Fundraising says: "The aim for this year's Poppy Appeal is to raise an unprecedented £27.5 million and to spread the message to those who have served and their families that if they fall on hard times, the Legion is there for them."
To find out more about the Legion's work, or to volunteer please visit the British Legion Website
The Inquisitive Mind of a Child
Why are they selling poppies, mummy?
Selling poppies in town today
The poppies child, are flowers of love
For the men who marched away.
But, why have they chosen a poppy, mummy?
Why not a beautiful rose?
Because, my child, men fought and died
On the fields where the poppy grows.
But why are the poppies so red, mummy?
Why are the poppies so red?
Red is the colour of blood, my child
The blood our soldiers shed
The heart of the poppy is black mummy
Why does it have to be black?
Black, my child, is the symbol of grief
For the men who never came back
But, why mummy, are you crying so?
Yours tears are giving you pain
My tears are my fears for you my child
For the world is - FORGETTING AGAIN
