The 2016 national Poppy Appeal is well underway, running until Armistice Day on 11 November and this week was the launch of the local appeal by the Royal British Legion in Kidderminster. Every year in November, an army of volunteers distribute the iconic paper poppies throughout the nation, collecting donations in return to help support the vital work of the Royal British Legion. Members of the public wear the paper poppy on their chest as a symbol of Remembrance: to remember the fallen Service men and women killed in conflict.

In Westminster, Remembrance is extremely important, culminating in the Cenotaph service and parade in Whitehall on 13 November - Remembrance Sunday. The Cenotaph service is organised annually by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, with The Royal British Legion coordinating the March Past. The wreaths remain at the Cenotaph as a constant reminder to us of what we are commemorating.

This year is a particular solemn anniversary: the centenary of the Battle of the Somme. In Parliament, there were a number of events earlier this year to mark the occasion, most notably a gun salute on Parliament Square fired by the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery to mark the start of the Battle of the Somme. One hundred years on, we are all connected to the First World War, either through our own family history, the heritage of our local communities or because of its long-term impact on society and the world we live in today. My own great uncle saw action at the Somme, when he fought with the Gloucesters. This year I will attend a family remembrance service, to mark the one hundredth anniversary of his death.

From 2014 to 2018, across the world, nations, communities and individuals of all ages will come together to mark the lives of those who lived, fought and died in the First World War. In Kidderminster, two of the district’s Victoria Cross heroes from the Great War, Eustace Jotham and John Young, are remembered with commemorative paving stones laid in 2013. The stones are part of a Government initiative to commemorate each Victoria Cross recipient of the war, and teach future generations of the sacrifices made by our Service men and women.

Locally, I would like to see the Kidderminster British Legion top last year’s fundraising total of £40,000. We wear Poppies both in memory of the fallen, but also to ensure the future of current members of the Armed Forces.