JERICHO ECHO ARTICLE
October 1995
They should have meant days of thanksgiving for 50 years of peace. And we remember with gratitude the wounded and the widows. Caring for them has become a challenge to the Royal British Legion (RBL) . Why is the Poppy Appeal still necessary? Well, there are still many pensioners and widows from the two World Wars. And the Appeal also cares for younger ex-service men and women who have served in recent conflicts - on behalf of Britain or the United Nations. The RBL has seven residential homes caring for 450 people, as well as free convalescent homes used by 4,300 people each year. Many people benefit in other ways, including allowances, employment training, and medical support. And we run pilgrimages around the world to visit !"ar graves or memorials. This is mainly financed by the Poppy Appeal which relies on some 300,000 voluntary collectors. I have been collecting in the Jericho area for almost 30 years. People are very generous and each year has always shown an increase. Last year, including Kingston Road and the side streets we raised a total of £1,253. As Chairman of the St. Giles Branch I invite all ex-service personnel to join, and anyone wishing to become an associate member can come along to our meetings which are held monthly at the Jericho Community Centre.