Remembrance Day and the Poppy Appeal
Helena Dollimore, MP for Hastings, Rye and the villages, this week joined veterans and volunteers for the launch of the Hastings & St Leonards 2026 Poppy Appeal in Tesco, raising money for veterans and their families.
Local veteran Bryan Hunter was due to receive an award at the launch in recognition of his 35 years of dedicated fundraising, staffing the Tesco stall every year without a single day off during the poppy appeal period. Sadly, Bryan passed away just days earlier. To customers of Tesco, Bryan was a familiar face every year in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday and will be sorely missed. His sons attended the launch event to accept the award on behalf of their father.
Last year the Hastings & St Leonards Poppy Appeal raised a whopping £66,808 for the Royal British Legion.
Helena Dollimore said: “It was an honour to join the launch of the Hastings and St Leonards Poppy Appeal today and pay tribute to all the local veterans and volunteers who make it happen each year. We also remembered Bryan, a stalwart of our community who dedicated himself to the poppy appeal every year and will be so missed. Thank you to all the volunteers who give up their time to raise this money for such an important cause, I would encourage everyone to stop by one of their stands or volunteer to help out.”
The annual Act of Remembrance to commemorate and remember those lost in conflict will be taking place at the war memorial in Alexandra Park at 11am on Sunday 8 November.
At 10.40am, the Civic Parade with organisations and uniformed groups will make its way from the Town Hall, along Queens Road, towards the park. There will be a service, wreath laying and a march past, then the Parade will re-form and make its way back to the Town Hall.
The Veterans Hub in Roberson Street will be open to all for a social gathering following the event. The lights in Bottle Alley will be red, the colour of poppies, in honour of Remembrance Day.
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