THE branches of the Royal British Legion (RBL) in Gwent will be coming together in late October to launch their nationwide poppy appeals in preparation for Remembrance Day in November.

As part of a special launch event, on Thursday, October 24, the RBL in Gwent, hosted by the Blackwood and District branch, will be hosting a church service at St Margaret’s in Blackwood before a procession is led to Dragon Square, opposite Blackwood Miner’s Institute.

During the event, which will begin with the gathering of people outside the church at approximately 9.45am, there will be a two-minute silence at 11am, like on Remembrance Day, before some words from the Lord Lieutenant for Gwent and other special guests, including Lord Don Touhig MP, Chris Evans MP, Ruth Jones MS and Rhianon Passmore MS.

Gwent Royal British Legion's poppy appeal launch will be hosted by Blackwood and District this yearGwent Royal British Legion's poppy appeal launch will be hosted by Blackwood and District this year (Image: Gwent RBL) The RBL also hope to have a band, a lone piper and several local schools involved in the procession but have said the event is currently all in the planning stages, so could be subject to some changes.

Vice Chairman of the Gwent County Royal British Legion, Andrew Doody, says they are hoping that the event will enable the poppy launch to regain some of the momentum lost during the coronavirus pandemic.

He explained: “Since pre-Covid the Gwent poppy launch as increasingly struggled to gain momentum with poor attendance and media coverage, so hopefully any preview coverage and coverage on the day will go a long way in rectifying this and give the launch the coverage it deserves.”

Members of Gwent RBL hope the event will help the appeal to regain some of the momentum it lost before the coronavirus pandemicMembers of Gwent RBL hope the event will help the appeal to regain some of the momentum it lost before the coronavirus pandemic (Image: Gwent RBL) As leaders of this year’s poppy appeal launch, Blackwood and District are taking on the position with the full support of the Gwent County Royal British Legion.

Mr Doody added: “We aim to make it a momentous occasion bringing together VIPs veterans service personnel youth organisations and the public.

“We feel it is important that we are able to regain the great importance of the poppy appeal Royal British Legion and the armed forces community.”