Sir, Has the poppy passed its “sell-by date” (letter, Nov 2)? The answer is a firm “No”. The poppy remains as vital, necessary and relevant as ever.

The current high deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan are having an impact on our caseload. Over the past four years the number of beneficiaries for our work aged 35 or under has increased by 211 per cent. By wearing the legion’s poppy — and more than 36 million were worn last year, generating a record £26 million for our welfare work — the public helps us to help those Service people and their families who are in need now.

More than 40,000 virtual poppies have been sent by the users of social network website Facebook, and more than 300,000 people have responded to our Poppy People campaign, donating their time to be poppy appeal collectors around the country.

The poppy is a symbol of reflection and respect, an icon of remembrance and a token of hope for a better, peaceful world. On November 11, as we pause to remember the terrible losses of the past and the present, those who wear their poppy will do so with pride.

Stuart Gendall
The Royal British Legion

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