AS REMEMBRANCE Day approaches, the Royal British Legion in Broadstone has been busy preparing to support the time of reflection.
Formed in 1921, The Royal British Legion keeps the memory of the many sacrifices in the Great War alive by raising awareness and educating through fundraisers, talks, and events.
In 2022, volunteers collected a staggering £50,000 in donations for the charity.
In support of the day, the branch has poppies up and down the streets of Broadstone to highlight and raise awareness for the local community.
Local knitters are also doing their bit for the event.
The Women’s Institute knitting groups have been busy knitting over 200 poppies that are now on display in libraries and dotted across high streets.
David Sippitt, chairman and branch community support representative of the RBL Broadstone branch, said: “When I was 5, I was taken to my first Remembrance Day Parade, it was just over 22 years after the end of WW2 and to put it in perspective, in my street in London we still played on the rubble of bombed out houses until my late teens.
The 61-year-old former royal marine added: “When the time got close to 11 on that Remembrance Sunday all the traffic on the busy street where the memorial stood stopped, drivers got out of their cars, double-decker buses emptied, and everyone stood facing the memorial and listened in silence to the service that had started.
“At 11, a distant gun sounded, and people bowed their heads in silence and personal thought.
“Everyone that stood there that day had a personal reason to stand and reflect because the country felt and understood the sacrifice that had been made and was still making.
Schools have also shown their commitment to the cause, David said.
“Our schools have welcomed our engagement and will be signing a memorandum of understanding that they will protect and honour the gift of the Tommy figure", he said.
“They will ensure that they remain committed to the education of our children about the importance of remembrance and the sacrifices both our military and the civilian population made during periods of war and conflict.”
The branch in Broadstone will be holding an annual Armistice Day parade at Broadstone Methodist Church at 11am on November 11 to allow the public to pay their respects.
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