The UK’s biggest armed Forces charity, the Royal British Legion, is appealing for new volunteers to help run its annual Poppy Appeal in Haverfordwest to raise vital funds to help veterans, current serving personnel, and their families, who have served and sacrificed for their country.

The charity, which organises the Poppy Appeal every October and November, relies on more than 3,500 dedicated volunteers to help deliver the appeal across the UK each year.

This year’s Remembrance poppy has been given a make-over and will now be completely plastic-free and easily recycled. The new poppies will be sold alongside stock of the original poppy.

Volunteers help to distribute poppies within their communities – nearly 35 million across the UK - and can take on a range of roles including Poppy Appeal Organisers who lead a team of dedicated volunteers in their area.

The Royal British Legion says all volunteers will be fully trained and the role can help people develop skills such as public speaking and building confidence, and will allow you to make new friends, and be part of a national appeal, which is giving back to the many people in the armed forces who have served and sacrificed.

The money raised from the poppy appeal can make a vital difference to people in the Armed Forces community.

From September 2021 to September 2022, people in the Armed Forces community in South West Wales received more than 90 grants from the Royal British Legion, totalling more than £85,000, to help with everything from housing, the cost of living, help with their mobility and getting back to work.

Phillip Flower, the Community Fundraiser for the Royal British Legion in South West Wales, says: “We would encourage anyone who is interested in volunteering for the Poppy Appeal to get in touch with us to find out more.

“And if you’re looking for a more active part in the Appeal, we would love to have you as the Poppy Appeal Organiser for Haverfordwest. This role is crucial to delivering the Appeal and includes distributing poppy boxes, organising a team of dedicated volunteers, and counting money.”

The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal was first held in the aftermath of the First World War in 1921, where red silk poppies were sold, raising over £106,000.

Today the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal is the charity’s biggest fundraising campaign and takes place every year in the run up to Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.

To find out more and get involved with volunteering for the Poppy Appeal, visit rbl.org.uk/poppyappealvolunteer or call 0345 845 1945.