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An army veteran from the West Midlands has said the purchase of a Remembrance poppy helped save his life after he faced issues with addiction.<\/p>\n
Terry Barnett was speaking as the Royal British Legion launched its annual poppy appeal at Southam in Warwickshire.<\/p>\n
He said the charity had provided him with support at a crucial time.<\/p>\n
\u201cA poppy that you buy has saved a person\u2019s life, and that\u2019s what I would say to the general public,\u201d he told BBC Midlands Today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Mr Barnett, who is from Solihull, joined The Royal Corps of Signals when he was 16 years old.<\/p>\n
Active tours of duty took their toll, and he said he ended up self-medicating.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t sure what was going on in my head,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know whether it was mental health, the traumas of my past, things I may have seen in the forces.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was after he felt he had reached “rock bottom” that he turned to the Royal British Legion for help.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnybody out there, when they say \u2018actually, I\u2019m not going to buy a poppy\u2019 \u2013 if you buy a poppy you can save a person\u2019s life, just like myself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The Poppy Appeal is the Royal British Legion’s annual fundraising campaign held each year in November, during the period of Remembrance.<\/p>\n
The legion provides lifelong support to serving and former military personnel and their families.<\/p>\n
The charity estimates that its 40,000 volunteers distribute a total of about 40 million poppies per year in return for a donation.<\/p>\n
In 2023 a new plastic-free poppy, made entirely from paper, was introduced.<\/p>\n
The Royal British Legion said it was a matter of personal choice whether someone chose to wear a poppy and how they chose to wear it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n