Don’t forget about the Poppy Appeal this year – that’s the plea from Suffolk’s Royal British Legion organisers as they prepare for their most important fundraising period in the teeth of the growing Covid-19 crisis.

The month leading up to Remembrance Day is when the Legion gets most of its donations as people buy poppies and make donations to mark the sacrifice of those who gave their lives for the country in conflicts over the last 120 years.

MORE: Normally Suffolk communities come together to mark Remembrance Sunday

But this year it is having to find different ways of raising the money it needs to fund its work.

Poppy sellers going door-to-door in towns and villages across Suffolk are out – and it will also not be possible for volunteers to stand on town streets selling them as usual.

County chairman Ken Rowbottom said: “Many of our volunteers are quite old and are considered vulnerable – so we cannot use them this year even though many of them enjoy doing this for us.

“We are trying to get Poppies and collecting tins into shops and businesses where people are working – but there aren’t so many people there as usual so we really do need people to try to find ways of supporting us. This is the most important time of the year for us when it comes to raising money.”

If people are unable to find collection points, they can donate to the Legion online which has details of how to support the charity, buy British Legion items, or make a donation by texting a special number.

Mr Rowbottom said: “We shan’t have as many people out there raising money. It may be possible to have a few stands overseen by a few volunteers observing social distancing, but it will be nowhere near our usual presence.

“But it is not too difficult to make a donation and I hope people will still support our work.”

It was revealed earlier this week that Remembrance Sunday events across the county would have to be scaled back with no parades and only limited wreath-laying at war memorials across Suffolk in a bid to prevent people from mixing.

MORE: No parades on Remembrance Sunday this year

The age of many people who normally take part in Remembrance events is a particular challenge for many organisers because older people are more vulnerable and concern is growing as the number of cases of Covid-19 continues to rise significantly.

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