The Royal British Legion are launching a special campaign to find more Poppy Appeal Organisers and Collectors in Wales for the 2006 Poppy Appeal. The campaign to find more 'Poppy People' is being launched with the message 'Be a Poppy for 2 Hours and help us grow'. It aims to increase the number of collectors by 10 per cent. Nationally, the 2004 -2005 Poppy Appeal raised £24.1m. However, the Legion's welfare assistance during this same period cost £51m. The County of Pembrokeshire Royal British Legion, which has many extremely active branch members, is to launch the initiative, which hopefully will recruit many new helpers and collectors over the period of Remembrance in November. On October 9, at the Narberth branch of the Royal British Legion, the county patron, Col. Peter Howells CBE, presented Awards of Appreciation to the following ladies for their efforts on behalf of the Poppy Appeal - Mrs. Rosemary Hayes MBE, Mrs. M. Richards, Mrs. R. Morgan, Mrs. Sylvia Rogers, Mrs. Anne Parcell and Mrs Eira John, who are seen receiving their awards in the photograph with Col. Peter Howells. The following also received awards, but were unable to attend the function - Mrs. Thelma Owen, Mrs. M. Harrison, Mrs. N. Davies, Mrs. G. Butler, Mrs. A. Williams and Mr. T. Hancock. Sadly, another, Mr. Dennis Hewitt, of Sardis, had passed away, but his award is to be given to his widow, Mrs. Hewitt. A similar occasion took place at the Village Hall in Little Haven on October 11. Again the county patron, Col. Peter Howells CBE, took time out from his busy schedule to make the Awards of Appreciation to the following people, Mrs. Parker, Mrs. M. Whightwright, Mrs. Mary Carrington and Mrs. Beenie Phoenix. The following also received awards, but were unable to attend personally - Mrs. J. Bell, Mrs. Glenys Davies, Mrs. Joan Scarratt, Mr. Chris Quinlan and Mr David Seddon. The combined total of years of collecting for the Poppy Appeal by the above mentioned is a staggerin 382 years - and a grateful county of the Royal British Legion gives its heartfelt thanks to all. Colonel Peter Howells, CBE TD DL, the Royal British Legion president of Wales, and in particular, the Pembroke county patron, is quoted as saying: "We urgently need more volunteers throughout Wales to bolster the Poppy Appeal. Being a Poppy Person can be rewarding and fun and can take as little as two hours a week." To find out more about becoming a Poppy Person, the campaign will advertise a special telephone number - 0800 085 5924 - that puts members of the public in touch with a Legion field office in their area. Alternatively, people may wish to speak with a local person and can do so by telephoning Sam Myatt on 01646 682598.
