THIS year’s Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal starts next Saturday, October 29, and collections will be taken until November 12, the day before Remembrance Sunday.

East Hampshire’s Conservative MP, Damian Hinds, together with East Hampshire district councillor Angela Glass, will be helping the Legion’s Colonel Jimmy Jack to start the Liphook appeal, in Sainsbury’s foyer on Midhurst Road, at 9am.

Mr Hinds will be present between 9am and 10am.

Royal British Legion volunteers will be there until 5pm and more collections will take place at the store over the following two Saturdays, from 9am until 5pm each day.

Colonel Jack, who runs the legion’s Bramshott and Liphook branch appeal, said: “Last year’s collection raised £12,685 and we hare hoping to raise even more this year.

“Disabled ex-service personnel, bereaved widows and their families need help, provision of adequate medical and surgical care, support for families of the dead and wounded, and provision of legal advice as well as representation at inquests and awards.

“Please help by giving even more this year to those who really need your support. More than half of our total collection is now made at Sainsbury’s store.

“There will be 140 collection boxes, distributed beforehand to shops, schools and offices in the parish. The number of our house-to-house collectors during the two weeks leading up to Remembrance Day is dropping every year.

“They are now not allowed to knock on doors which display signs saying ‘no cold callers’, and we believe this traditional method of collecting is due to be discontinued in the very near future.”

A Remembrance Day Service will be held at St Mary’s Church, Bramshott, on Sunday, November 13, starting at 10.30am, where wreaths will be laid in honour of those who have made the final sacrifice.

* Following on from last month’s successful talk by Colonel (Ret) Stuart Tootal, the the Royal British Legion is holding a free social evening at Bramshott and Liphook Club, Headley Road, next week. Col John Boyd and Lt Col Jamie Jack will give a briefing on the Poppy Appeal on Thursday, October 27, from 8pm.