North-east raises £1m for Poppy Appeal

The north-east Poppy Appeal for 2011 raised over £1 million for the Royal British Legion.

This figure represents a year-on-year increase of 20 per cent and it means the region is the most generous in the UK, the Evening Chronicle reports.

Andrew Drake, county manager of the Royal British Legion (RBL) in the north-east, heaped praise on all of those who had donated to the cause.

"It's brilliant news, we are absolutely delighted to achieve this milestone. To be able to help those in need with this money is so important," he added.

Mr Drake stated that support for the military charity had been "tremendous" and the organisation hopes to put welfare at the heart of its endeavours in 2012.

At present, the RBL has in excess of 360,000 members and has grown massively since its creation back in 1921.

In 2012, some £36 million was collected through the Poppy Appeal.

Posted by Trevor Smith