On behalf of Timsbury Royal British Legion, I would like to thank all the volunteers from Timsbury, Camerton and Tunley who spend hours on cold winter nights collecting door-to-door, and all the businesses and various organisations that helped us raise a total of £4,379.38 for 2017, which is nearly £600 up on the 2016 total.

Without your support we would not be able to help the thousands of ex-service and serving men and women and their families. Absolutely everything we do depends on the strength of our fundraising, of which the Poppy Appeal is an important part.

4th August 2014 marked the 100th anniversary of the day Britain entered one of the costliest conflicts in history – the First World War, which ended on 11th November 1918, Armistice Day.

Nearly everyone in the UK has an ancestor directly affected by the First World War, and all of us live with its effects today. The losses were felt in nearly every UK town and village, as more than 1.1 million lives were sacrificed by men and women in service of the British Empire.

The Royal British Legion was founded by British veterans in the aftermath of the First World War, and will be at the forefront of Centenary commemorations. As we come together in Remembrance of events a century ago, we are reminded of the important welfare work the Legion continues to provide today, and will need to provide in the future.

A century on from the First World War, those serving in the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families still call on us for help with almost every aspect of daily life. The problems facing First World War veterans when they returned to the UK continue to affect serving personnel and veterans today: whether living with bereavement or disability, finding employment, or coping with financial stress.

You can donate to the Poppy Appeal at any time throughout the year by visiting the Royal British Legion Club in the village, or you can donate some of your change in the collecting tins around Timsbury or by logging on to: www.britishlegion.org.uk

In the final year of the WWI centenary, The Royal British Legion is inviting the British public to say ‘Thank You’ to the First World War generation who served, sacrificed and changed our world.

Between Wednesday, 8th August and Sunday, 11th November, we’ll be asking the nation to say ‘thank you’ in their own way; whether online, at work or where they live.

As the year progresses, more news on the Thank You movement will be announced.

For more information, please contact us at: [email protected]

Thank you once again for your support.

Chris Fiddes