Suffolk Poppy Appeal could lose £18,000 as six areas left without organisers
They're appealing for volunteers in six Suffolk communities, warning a shortage of organisers could leave some areas without poppies and put donations at risk.
The Royal British Legion is searching for volunteers to help run this year's Poppy Appeal in Suffolk, with six areas currently without organisers.
Bildeston, Botesdale, Gosbeck, Lavenham, Rattlesden and Yoxford need people to coordinate their local appeals.
Mandy Cox-Osborne, the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal Manager for Suffolk, said the vacant positions could potentially mean around £18,000 in donations is lost across the county.
She warned the shortage could also mean poppies are not available in some of the affected communities during this year's appeal.
"We're very fortunate that we have a team of volunteers across the nation, but we're also looking for organisers where unfortunately we have districts without an organiser," she said.
"We have six areas, villages just as equally as important in the collecting, which no longer have organisers, which could also mean that unfortunately there will be no poppies in those areas."
What does a Poppy Appeal organiser do?
Organisers help prepare for the appeal, coordinate other volunteers where necessary and oversee practical work once collections have finished.
Ms Cox-Osborne said responsibilities can include administration, recruiting additional volunteers, bringing collection boxes back in and arranging for donations to be counted and banked.
However, she stressed people do not have to become an organiser to get involved.
The charity is also looking for people who can give some of their time to collecting donations in supermarkets, on streets or through house-to-house collections.
Ms Cox-Osborne said there could be a number of reasons why positions had become vacant, including previous organisers moving away from Suffolk or experiencing changes in their health or available time.
She also suggested pressures such as longer working hours and people holding more than one job could make volunteering more difficult, although she did not identify a single cause for the current vacancies.
'It can impact the lives of our Armed Forces community'
Money raised through the Poppy Appeal helps fund the Royal British Legion's support for serving and former members of the Armed Forces and their families.
Ms Cox-Osborne said losing around £18,000 could ultimately affect how much support the charity is able to provide.
"It could be that it might be not as many services could be supplied," she said.
"It might be that we can't supply as many memory boxes to somebody who's going through their dementia journey. It could be we can't supply as many food vouchers for a family in need in this Armed Forces community.
"Potentially losing that £18,000 can impact the lives of our Armed Forces community."
Later in the interview, she said the precise number of people £18,000 could support would depend on what help they needed, giving examples of memory boxes costing around £20 and some families potentially receiving food vouchers worth up to £200.
'If we don't have the volunteers, we can't collect'
Ms Cox-Osborne said volunteers remained fundamental to the annual appeal because donations collected through it help fund the charity's work.
"If we don't have the volunteers, we can't collect those all-important donations and in turn those donations give life-changing support to our Armed Forces community," she said.
She said volunteers also regularly hear directly from people who have received help, as well as families who share stories about relatives who have served.
"It's quite humbling to hear those stories and also stories about people we've helped," she added.
Among the Suffolk cases Ms Cox-Osborne highlighted was that of Beth Willis, who she said was medically discharged from the Armed Forces after sustaining an injury during training.
According to Ms Cox-Osborne, Ms Willis later attended the Royal British Legion's Battle Back service, where she received support alongside other people in similar circumstances, including help preparing for employment.
She said Ms Willis subsequently found work in Newmarket supporting injured jockeys through their recovery and now runs her own business in Stowmarket.
Ms Cox-Osborne also described support provided to Trevor Bygate and his family following the death of his daughter by suicide, including help towards funeral costs.
Support can continue throughout people's lives
Ms Cox-Osborne said the charity's involvement does not necessarily end after providing someone with one form of assistance.
She gave the example of a Royal British Legion colleague who became an amputee following an operational tour in Afghanistan and who, she said, had been supported from his initial hospital treatment through his recovery, including adaptations to his home.
"The Royal British Legion isn't there to replace anything," she said.
"The Royal British Legion is there to support when it's needed, where there's probably a gap in something and that's where we will help.
"And if we don't do that, then we do know of other charities that we can signpost people to, because we do work with other charities as well."
Appeal for Suffolk volunteers
Ms Cox-Osborne said more than one person could share responsibility for organising an appeal in their community, rather than the role necessarily falling to a single volunteer.
She said new organisers would go through an onboarding process and receive support from the wider Suffolk Poppy Appeal team and organisers in neighbouring areas.
People interested in volunteering can contact the Royal British Legion through its website or the Suffolk Poppy Appeal's social media channels.