Wing Commander David Forbes raising money for Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal

Wing Commander David Forbes is taking to the streets to raise funds for the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal this November.

The great-grandfather has been walking several miles each morning since March 2020, and has been using his early morning exercise as an opportunity to raise money for charities, which have missed out on so much during the year of the pandemic.

Mr Forbes, 82, the president of the British Legion in Rochdale, first raised money for the Poppy Appeal last November, and is this year aiming to raise £100 with 100 miles.

The veteran laid a wreath at the Rochdale Cenotaph on Armistice Day (Thursday 11 November), and will be laying another on Remembrance Sunday (14 November).

Mr Forbes says he has set a lower target this month due to November being a busy month of remembrance, but also because it is the 100th anniversary of the Poppy Appeal.

He said: “I had a rest in September and October but I thought this would be a good way to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Poppy Appeal.”

He has already raised £75 in cash donations, with a further £40 donated online and additional pledges made.

 

 

As well as being president of the Rochdale branch of the Royal British Legion, Mr Forbes is also vice-president of Greater Manchester County Royal British Legion, the founder and president of Rochdale Veterans’ Breakfast Club and president of the North Region Royal Air Force Air Cadets. 

Mr Forbes usually leads the annual parade and service in Rochdale on Remembrance Sunday, opening with the Exhortation. After the Last Post, a two-minute silence and reveille, Mr Forbes then reads the Kohima Epitaph before prayers. He also lays a wreath alongside other representatives, and still plans to quietly lay a wreath this year.

Mr Forbes, who has an MBE for his voluntary work with young people and service charities, is also a retired Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester.

His involvement with the services traces back to 1954 when he joined the Air Training Corps, now known as the RAF Air Cadets.

The Poppy Appeal is the Royal British Legion's biggest fundraising campaign held every year in November, during the period of Remembrance. The charity provides lifelong support to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families.

Donations can be made via GoFundMe.