A hard act to follow… I’m sure most people will have used that phrase sometime in their lives when speaking of friends, relatives and colleagues etc.
Unfortunately I am faced with saying it about myself after the way the populace of Spalding and local villages reacted to last year’s Poppy Appeal.
When the 2014/15 campaign finished on September 30 the district had raised £32,712.27.
In the previous five years the average annual donations were £19,528.79.
This year’s appeal currently stands at £25,002.37. As it says above “a hard act to follow!”
However this Remembrance tide has brought forth the good Samaritan in many guises, from the distributors and collectors to the businesses, from the schools to the men, women and children who have given their time, money, effort and good wishes to supporting the Royal British Legion in this worthy cause.
To all of those people I say a heartfelt thank you.
Special thanks to Sainsbury’s who not only hosted our manned collection in-store but also counted the takings.
To the Rotary Club of South Holland for braving the weather to collect at Springfields and providing a creditable sum of money.
To Springfields for allowing the collectors on their premises and also to the stores who also collected.
To Baytree Garden Centre for hosting a stall, supplying wonderful coffee and hot chocolate from their coffee shop (the cakes and pastries were extremely hard to resist!) and for the very kind donation of a week’s takings for reindeer carrots.
To Bakkavor for the continued and unswerving support they provide collecting and distributing for the appeal.
To Mrs Maddison, the late Maria Bettinson and her fellow residents of Georgian Court who produced crocheted poppies.
To the Lions for their most generous contribution.
The list of thanks goes on and on and if you feel I have missed anyone out I beg your forgiveness and promise I’ll try harder next time.
Finally I still have many of the items contained within the school boxes available in return of a modest donation to the appeal, just contact me on the number below.
Peter Lyon
Honorary Poppy Appeal Organiser
Spalding Branch
The Royal British Legion
01406 373669
