Newcastle-under-Lyme Community Station raise £2500 for the Royal British Legion

Chief Fire Officer Rob Barber presented the Branch Chair of the Royal British Legion with a cheque of £2,500 today (Monday 22 November).

Fire safety officers raised money in the interim to Remembrance Sunday by selling special edition poppies at Newcastle-under-Lyme Community Fire Station.

The Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service brigade badge, alongside a red poppy, was sold to crews and visitors at the station – where donations of £3.50 were taken for each.

Kelvin Chell, Fire Safety Officer at Newcastle, said: “We just couldn’t get enough poppies to meet the demands of those wanting to donate, it was incredible.

“We started taking donations at the beginning of October and ran out before the start of November, which is a testament to the crews and community at Newcastle who were so keen to donate.

To highlight the exceptional support in which the Legion provides to the servicepeople of Britain is a great privilege – one which we hope to repeat in the future.”

Kelvin said: “Next year, we want to distribute two further editions – the Staffordshire Knot alongside a poppy and a RW388 Spitfire flying out of a poppy – the same one which is housed at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.”

“The communities of Staffordshire and the crews at Newcastle are thankful for the work which the Royal British Legion do for the Armed Forces community and we hope these poppies will further represent the county’s desire to give back.”

CFO Rob Barber presented the Brach Chair with the donation at Newcastle Station.