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MP thanks residents after streets Poppy appeal raises £7,000

Posted onPosted on 25th Nov

Ashfield MP Lee Anderson says he was overwhelmed by the generosity of residents after raising £7,000 for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions the traditional annual poppy appeal could not go ahead, but the MP was determined to help and having liaised with the charity, he was able to secure street poppies.

Lee explained: “When the poppies arrived, I asked on Facebook if anyone wanted one – there was a minimum donation of £3 per poppy. I know a lot of residents are really struggling this year due to the pandemic and wasn’t sure what the take up would be.

“I was blown away by the response. Residents were contacting me from all over the constituency eager to pay their respects by buying a poppy. Entire streets were decorated. Skegby had hundreds of poppies on its streets as did Eastwood. The Carsic community decorated their estate and the New Cross pub, Sutton, donated over £70 to get Outram Street filled with street poppies. Every community chipped in.”

Residents weren’t the only ones to display poppies. Schools decorated their gates with images of poppies and children wrote poems about Remembrance.

Lee said many residents spoke of their sadness on VE Day in May when they were unable to show their respects as they had wanted because of coronavirus lockdown. Many said the street poppy appeal was their chance to show how much they cared.

Several orders were placed for extra street poppies – with one box of 500 being sold within a day. Some residents gave hundreds of pounds to get their entire street decorated, while others volunteered to put them up for neighbours. Poppies were displayed throughout the constituency with one resident joking people knew when they were in Ashfield as the street poppies suddenly appeared.

Lee added: “From the bottom of my heart, thank you Ashfield and Eastwood. We have shown we care, old and young have shown we will never forget the sacrifices our heroes made and continue to make. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten here.”

Lee Anderson is pictured with Carsic residents.