The Long Wittenham Good Neighbours Group met this month at the village hall on the afternoon of the 14th February. The speaker was Lynda Atkins, County Chairman of the Royal British Legion (RBL), who talked about its work supporting the Armed Forces community and anyone with a connection to the armed services, and how the RBL works with many other organisations to provide support in a great many and varied ways.
There were twenty people present, including three of the older children from the school.
The work of the RBL’s dedicated Poppy Collectors leading up to Remembrance Day is well known and it generates approximately £650,000 from Oxfordshire every year. Nationally, the Legion actually receives almost three times the amount raised by the Poppy Appeal every year and this funds its support for the over six million members of the Armed Forces community across the country. It acts as a “gateway” to channel support from partner organisations to anyone who needs help, whatever it maybe.
There was the usual endless supply of tea and cakes at the meeting. There is no charge for going along to the meetings which are held on the second Thursday of every month. The group is open to anyone of any age living in the Wittenhams area and new faces are always welcome. The group has a bigger budget this year so look out for details of future speakers.
Contact Steve Brown on 01865 407589 for more information or email longwitt@hotmail.com.
