WHILE a pandemic wreaks havoc across the globe and people are confined to their homes, how do you fundraise?

It seemed all issues in society were pushed to one side as the world collaborated to find an antidote for the devastation caused by coronavirus.

Those at the Royal British Legion certainly found out for themselves it was going to be a hard year.

This year, the charity entered its centenary year and it certainly has not faced challenges like the past year during peacetime.

Its resources were stretched to the limit as elderly, vulnerable volunteers were isolating and shops where donation pots would usually be were closed.

But it was the inability to be out and about to its full capacity throughout its Poppy Appeal – the period where it raises most of its money during the two weeks of build-up to Remembrance Sunday – which really hit the coffers hard.

It meant the vital support it carries out for the families, carers and individuals who have been impacted by service in the military was struggling – but spirits never faltered.

For community fundraiser Laura Gibbs, they were down but not out.

“It’s been tough,” she said, “really tough.

Gazette: Laura Gibbs

“We were a third of volunteers down from what we usually have and were really limited, especially during Poppy Appeal which is such a crucial fortnight for us.

“Some supermarkets wouldn’t let us in due to social distancing concerns when normally we always have people there - this cut off a big revenue stream.

“Shops were shut and people just weren’t dealing with cash anymore so our donation pots weren’t filling how they usually would.

“As well, with pubs and bars it was all table service, so we weren’t getting the loose change from drinkers standing at the bars who usually chuck it in.

“What we do is so important, we cover so many different things.

“One person we helped had a wife and three children but had to stop work - they didn’t even have a kettle, toaster or fridge. It’s the little things we often take for granted that sometimes others need support with.

“It can range from this to getting someone who has lost their leg the appropriate rehabilitation, all services are important to those who need help.”

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And help is, after all, the ethos flowing through the charity which so often provides a reliable lifeline for those who need it most.

Its crucial service provided over the past 100 years has included financial and family support, therapy, rehabilitation and job-seeking.

“I thought, as a charity, it was more important than ever to do whatever we could to help others,” said Jackie Mason, Colchester’s volunteer Poppy Appeal organiser.

“After all, people were losing loved ones.

Gazette: Jackie Mason

“We could only do one of our usual two weeks of Poppy Appeal fundraising in October and November but, of course, it wasn’t the same.

“We had a couple of stands in town and a few schools took some packs but that was all we could do, by law.

“Then along came another lockdown and we had to stop. People still make donations and they leave gifts in their wills but the usual face-to-face with people was impossible.

“You have to do what you can, when you can, though. I was just extremely grateful to everybody who was able to help out.

“For me, this role was about carrying on doing something purposeful and helpful to the community - I really believe in this.

“I tried to remain positive and do something during a dreadful time for everybody and I’m so pleased we could do that small something to help.

“The service is massively important, it’s major for some people. It doesn’t just look after their bodies but their minds too.

“For some it is a lifeline. It’s great to think this year life will be different, it’s the start of a brighter, more hopeful year.”

The Royal British Legion’s first fundraising event in Colchester following the lifting of the Government’s Covid restrictions will now take place on Sunday, August 1 with music, fun and games and singer Sarah Louise.

You can find the event at the Secret Garden, in Lion Walk, between 12.30pm and 4.30pm.