Lest we forget

Today is Remembrance Sunday and all around the country and also in Iraq and Afghanistan, services of remembrance have been taking place to honour all those who have sacrificed their lives for their country.

On 11th November it will be 90 years since the end of the First World War. As in previous years there will be two minutes silence at 11.00am-the eleventh month, on the eleventh day, at the eleventh hour.

It is crucial that we remember and commemorate those who have paid such a high price in order that the rest of us are safe and free. Since Remembrance Sunday in 2007 over 30 British servicemen and women have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. So called 'modern' war costs less lives but does not leave these brave men and women unscathed. Limbs are lost in horrific numbers, recent reports in The Times stated that soldiers are being literally deafened by the horrendous noise of war. The broken bodies that come home are fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, boyfriends, friends-much loved people who need help financially and emotionally in order to carve out a new and often very different life to that envisioned.

The Royal British Legion was founded in 1921 and supports these men and women, day after day, month after month, year after year. This year they hoped to sell 40 million poppies. The money made from the sale of the poppies goes towards providing help in any number of ways to ex-service men and women as well as those currently serving. The Royal British Legion who also campaign for the rights of these people on issues such as war pensions and the previously mentioned hearing problems suffered by so many. According to figures on The Royal British Legion's website 10.5 million people are currently able to ask for help. An astonishing £75million was spent last year helping those in need.

Clearly all this work is only possible with the help of the general public-think of the debt we owe-is a £1.00 or £2.00 for a poppy too much to ask? The Royal British Legion help people every day of the year and need our help to help those in need. Please go to the Royal British Legion website and see what they do, stories of those they help and ways to support the incredible work they do.

We must not forget-we will not.