Record £26,000 raised for Poppy Appeal in Newport
More than £26,600 was raised by generous people in Newport and the surrounding areas in a record year for the Poppy Appeal.
The Royal British Legion in the area said that it has been a great effort by everybody involved.
Poppy Appeal organiser Ann Whitfield said that over the years she had been organising the appeal, the amount raised had risen each year from just £4,500.
And for the Centenary of the end of the First World War, people in the town dug deep to show support for the armed forces – managing to raise £1,000 more than the previous year.
"It is absolutely wonderful," Ms Whitfield said. "Every year it goes up. I've been doing it for 18 years and when we first started it was £4,500.
"People in Newport are very generous. You get people who come along and put money in the tins and I have got such a great group of volunteers in supermarkets and all over, as well as army and air cadets. People are just generous."
Ms Whitfield said people knew about post traumatic stress disorder and other issues affecting service personnel.
"People don't forget," she said.
The efforts to get the Poppy Appeal running smoothly begin in June.
But Ms Whitfield said said she was looking for more people to get involved as volunteers this year.
"I start ordering items in June, going through stock, organising volunteers. We're always looking for more volunteers. We have a new supermarket in Newport, Lidl, so I'll be looking for people to cover that.
"It's early, but we have to get orders in and ask people. People usually get involved by word of mouth or by just having a conversation with somebody.
"Everybody – schools, shops, churches – have such a big involvement. Every year the amount we raise goes up, and I have to pull my strings in a little bit and tell myself it can't keep rising. But hopefully it does."
The women's section of the group are organising a trip to the National Memorial Aboretum at Alrewas, Burton on Trent next month.
It will take place on May 29 with plans to leave Newport at 9am.
The cost to join the trip is £7 per person. Money will be required as soon as a place is booked.
Anybody interested in volunteering for the Poppy Appeal or attending the trip can call Ms Whitfield on 01952 813589.
