This year's Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal is launched in Northern Ireland
The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal for 2025 was officially launched today (October 24), in Northern Ireland, and this year is highlighting how the RBL is helping to rebuild lives across the Armed Forces community.
Founded in 1921, the Appeal aims to raise more than £50 million this year to fund the RBL’s vital work supporting serving personnel, veterans, and their families whenever and however they need it.
The Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough, Alderman Stephen Moutray, and representatives from the RBL branches across Northern Ireland gathered at Armagh Palace, where the President of the RBL in Northern Ireland, Col Neil Salisbury (ret’d) invited His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant Lord Nicholas Caledon to ceremonially collect the first poppy of the appeal in Northern Ireland.
The RBL is the UK’s largest Armed Forces charity, and poppy donations provide tailored support to over 7,000 members of the Armed Forces community at any one time - from short-term relief to lifelong assistance.
One of the RBL’s many beneficiaries in Northern Ireland who has been helped by the vital funds raised through the Poppy Appeal is veteran Robert Stewart and his wife Clare.
After their daughter Clara Rose was sadly stillborn, the RBL helped with support and legal fees which enabled an inquest. This helped the couple to understand what happened to their daughter and hopefully prevent others from having to go through a similar situation.
The couple said: “We worried that we would be unable to give our daughter the justice she deserved. Without the RBL’s help, we have no doubt this would not have been possible, and we are forever thankful. We are so proud as Clara’s parents, we did the best we could to save future children’s lives.”
Lucy Inskip, Director of the Poppy Appeal, said this year’s campaign shines a light on the charity’s role in rebuilding lives when things fall apart.
“Every day, ex-service personnel and their families come to us for help with addiction, debt, homelessness, PTSD, and relationship breakdowns,” she said. “When something goes wrong, the RBL is there to help rebuild lives and offer hope for the future.”
The RBL’s work is made possible through public donations and the dedication of 50,000 volunteers across the UK. Last year alone, the charity provided £12 million in welfare grants, including £1.4 million in food and clothing vouchers and £5 million in housing support.