Royal British Legion launches annual poppy appeal

A spotlight is being shone on efforts to rebuild the lives of veterans whose lives have fallen apart for this year’s Royal British Legion (RBL) annual poppy appeal.

At any given moment, the RBL is helping more than 7,000 members of the armed forces community with expert advice and practical support.

This year’s appeal, launched on Thursday, aims to raise more than £50 million.

Lucy Inskip, the RBL’s Poppy Appeal director, said: “Every day, ex-service personnel and their families come to the Royal British Legion for support when they become overwhelmed with issues including addiction, debt, homelessness, PTSD and relationship breakdowns.

“When something goes wrong, the RBL is there to help rebuild lives and provide members of the armed forces community with the support they need to create a better future.”

The lasting impact of a training accident, the loss of a friend, or battlefield trauma are among a range of potentially devastating issues faced by some veterans.

Ms Inskip described the annual appeal, founded in 1921, as something which “brings the nation together and helps us raise vital funds needed to support the armed forces community”.

Donations help the RBL – the UK’s largest armed forces charity – to respond in ways tailored that are tailored to the armed forces community’s specific needs and circumstances.

A number of veterans and their families are set share their personal accounts of the struggles they faced after service and how the RBL helped at the launch in central London on Thursday.