THIS year marks the 90th anniversary of the Scottish Poppy Appeal.The men of the First World War would be surprised, if gratified, to know that all these years later communities still gather round their war memorials in November wearing the same poppy that was introduced to raise funds for them.
They would be dismayed to hear 29-year old Private Paul Lambert of 1 SCOTS, who lost his legs in an IED explosion in Afghanistan, declare: "I always wore the poppy to remember my grandfather. Now, with your help, the poppy can rebuild my life." Dismayed, but they would understand. They knew better than most that wars create casualties.
The British Armed Forces have been in action since the end of World War II and the list of victims grows with each passing year. This is why the poppy remains as relevant today as ever.
It was in 1921 that collars and lapels in Britain first bore the bright red paper bloom which instantly gained a special place in our culture. Although the poppies were initially imported from devastated areas of France, it took only until 1926 for the Scottish Appeal to have its own factory.
Arthur Dyke, ex-Scots Guards, who works at today's Lady Haig Poppy Factory in Edinburgh, explains: "The poppy is an icon of remembrance but it also provides support to ex-Service people today and I am proud to be part of that helping process."
Arthur and 40 colleagues produce all Scotland's five million poppies, 8,000 wreaths and 60,000 collecting tins.
The appeal, organised by Poppy Scotland, is enjoying a run of ever bigger totals. Last year's record of £2.35 million was a five per cent increase on 2009, showing us that the public continues to acknowledge the debt of honour we owe our Service people.
The charity gave £800,000 to 1,360 individuals and £959,000 to 15 organisations. Veterans received assistance towards emergency home repairs, temporary accommodation and home adaptations, re-training grants and small business loans, while organisations such as mental health charity Combat Stress and housing charity Scottish Veterans' Garden City Association benefited too.
One of the most unusual awards was made to purchase six American quarter horses for a new charity, HorseBack UK, which uses horse riding in Aboyne as therapy for injured veterans.
It can be moving to read how small sums, carefully spent, can transform lives. A typical letter is from RAF veteran Charles Milne, 88, who wrote: "Thank you for funding my new stairlift. I was struggling with the stairs and would have been sad to move from my home. Your generosity has reassured me that I can continue to live here for the foreseeable days ahead."
But it's not all small scale. Last year Poppy Scotland launched the Armed Forces Advice Project to offer free confidential advice to serving personnel, veterans and their families in Scotland, where Citizens Advice Scotland staff assist with a wide-range of issues, including finances, benefits, housing and employment.
This is just one of several innovations introduced by Poppy Scotland in recent years and accurately reflects the vital necessity of moving with the times.The Poppy Appeal is not associated with just the World Wars but the many bloody conflicts that our Servicemen have fought since 1945.
These include Palestine, Korea, Malaya, Cyprus, Falklands, Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Sierra Leone, to mention just a few while recent conflicts such as Iraq or Afghanistan have emphasised the poppy's role in the modern world.
A world which has, in the past four years, seen Poppy Scotland increase average expenditure per beneficiary by 84 per cent.While this reflects the rising cost of care in today's climate, the link between modern conflicts and those of the World War I trenches will always be the poppy.
It has endured as a symbol of blood, fragility, death, rebirth and remembrance. The paper flower remains today as a vital tool for reconstructing shattered lives too. We still need the humble poppy.Those who died serving their country, or who suffer still, must not be forgotten.
This is where the poppy's role as a symbol of remembrance and heroic fundraiser continues to play a vital role.It has also come to represent war, peace, hope and sacrifice but with a stubborn sense of regeneration too. The poppy remains a compelling symbol and is needed now much as it ever was.
By Neil Griffiths of the Royal British Legion Scotland
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