Lest We Forget
EFFORTS from generous Argyle fans saw us raise over £20,000 for the Royal British Legion during the 2018 Poppy Appeal campaign.
While the Greens’ run in the FA Cup might have been short this season, our first-round Remembrance-weekend fixture with Stevenage will have a long-lasting impact for members and veterans of the British forces.
The Royal British Legion supplied 6,000 club-branded poppy lapel pins for the November cup tie against Stevenage, which Argyle fans snapped up at a suggested donation of £3. While these pins were produced for various EFL sides up and down the country, no other group of supporters bought as many as the Green Army.
“We’re incredibly pleased to have worked with Plymouth Argyle Football Club during the Poppy Appeal,” said Lauren Chilton, community fundraiser for the Royal British Legion. “The bespoke pins proved extremely popular, we’re thrilled with the success, and would like to say a big thank you to both Plymouth Argyle FC and to the public who generously supported us and donated for a pin.”
The Royal British Legion’s ever-popular Poppy Appeal has been operating since 1921, and the club, proud of its place in a city with historic forces heritage, has a long-running partnership with the charity. Argyle and the Legion have always worked closely together on Remembrance-weekend matches since the start of the Great War, when poppies were embroidered on commemorative scarves.
As well as the badges, the first-team’s unique poppy-embroidered shirts from the game have also been auctioned in aid of the Legion. The total raised through shirt sales provided an additional £2,422 – taking the grand fundraising total to over £20,000.
The Legion serves both veterans and active members, as well as their families, in offering a range of financial, social and emotional support. Lauren believes that the money raised by Argyle will provide a life-changing boost for many of Devon’s servicemen and women.
“The work of the Legion is as relevant and vital today as it has been since the charity was founded in the aftermath of the First World War,” said Lauren. “The money raised will help the Legion to support service personnel, veterans and their families through hardships, injury and bereavements.”
For more information on the work of the Royal British Legion, or to get involved in more fundraising efforts, visit www.britishlegion.org.uk