Volunteers praise 'generous' Peterborians as 2026 Poppy Appeal launches on Bridge Street

As Remembrance Sunday approaches, the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal has launched across the city.

As always, a caravan run by volunteer fundraisers has taken temporary residence on Bridge Street, close to Cathedral Square.

From this makeshift base, husband-and-wife Malcolm and Sandy Foster, along with a small army of helpers, will once again do their best to raise monies that will help treat the many issues which far too many ex-service personnel find themselves afflicted by. “It’s really important to me because our veterans, our soldiers, go off to wars… and they come back with less of themselves, whether it be physical or mental,” says Sandy.

The Poppy Appeal first started in 1921, after the poppy was adopted as a symbol of remembrance to honour the hundreds of thousands of young men who never returned from the First World War.

Though it is now in its 105th year, the long-serving volunteers insist the fundraising campaign is still just as vital in 2026.

“It’s very important these days,” says Malcolm, who served with the British Army when he was younger, “especially when you look at the injuries that [they] come back with now and the majority of them have mental health issues.”

Sandy elaborates.

“It is the mental that a lot of this money that we raise is spent on now; the PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)” she explains, “they see such horrible things and take part in such horrible things.

“They need specialist help and specialist support and that’s where we come in, to help them with that.”

She added: “Its very hard for them to get on in life so they need help, they need support and they need our gratitude.”

Though the couple’s prime caravan spot has only be up for a couple of days, Malcolm is already singing the praise of Peterborians:

“The response in general is normally quite good,” he says: “I know people are generous.”

He says that passers-by are willing to give even though the cost of living remains so stubbornly high.

“People have less,” he notes, “but they do find a little bit for us, which is a great help.”

“I’m am very, very proud to be involved in it.”