IF EVERYONE in Oxfordshire buys just one poppy in 2018, it will make for a record fundraising year as the country marks 100 years since the end of the First World War.

That is the aim of the Royal British Legion as hundreds of collectors across the county prepare to hit the streets and honour the fallen in the centenary year.

A rallying cry from fundraisers will soon ring through the streets to help mark the ‘massive’ moment, in a bid to surpass last year’s £607,473.62.

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It would take just £1 from every resident to smash the county’s goal and raise vital funds to support members and veterans of the British Armed Forces and their families.

The county’s new Royal British Legion community fundraiser Jess Jenkins is confident that supporters will help the collection grow.

The committed fundraiser, who has a deep personal connection to the military, said: “Obviously it’s the centenary of the First World War so it’s a massive year for us and we are trying to get everybody really involved.

“We have a big movement at the moment called the ‘thank you movement’ as it's a time to say 'thank you' to everyone who has served and sacrificed in those 100 years.

“That may not be just be those on the front line, but the nurses, the soldiers and those who stayed on the home front like ammunition workers, those who went to work for the first time and the legacy that followed.”

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Miss Jenkins has joined those who say 2018’s milestone year marks the perfect moment to dig even deeper and honour those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, as well as thanking those who continue to serve.

The 31-year-old, who previously worked for The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, is heading into this year’s Poppy Appeal with a ‘fresh slate’ having been in the community fundraiser post for just four months.

She said: “I am very excited to have started working for the Royal British Legion and looking forward to the new challenge.

“I am very much looking forward to getting my first Poppy Appeal underway and seeing how people support the appeal in Oxfordshire.”

Miss Jenkins will lead some 500 volunteers throughout the county streets, collecting at supermarkets, going door-to-door, and delivering boxes of poppies to businesses.

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She added: “When I saw the role with the Royal British Legion, I thought 'that sounds amazing'.

“My partner is ex-army, doing a tour of Afghanistan within his first couple of years, and my dad was in the RAF after training as a doctor so I grew up on an American air base. He retired last year.

“For me it was very much a feeling of helping a community that I also felt a part of.

“I have seen firsthand the effects serving can have on multiple friends and their families and consequently I am passionate to help in anyway I can.”

Miss Jenkins, from Abingdon, and the hundreds of volunteers helping to boost this year’s Poppy Appeal will officially launch collections on Thursday, October 25.

Lynda Atkins, county chairwoman of the Royal British Legion, said: “It is a special year with the centenary and a very important moment to remind people how long it is we have been remembering and why we need to remember.

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“Secondly, it is important to remember a lot of people we have been helping for a long time are really getting quite old and poorly. They are needing more complicated help and we need to make sure we are always there to provide that for them.

“Of course we are also still supporting people serving more recently and that need, in terms of supporting those in the armed forces, it is more than ever.”

Mrs Atkins said the appeal was a moment to remember what people have done in giving their own lives for others.

She added: “I hope we can [collect a record amount in the county]. It is not about busting the total for our own sake but to make sure we can continue to help people that need it.

“Think: just £1 per head from the population of Oxfordshire, if everyone gives something we would be up past our last total.”

Anyone who would like to help fundraise or volunteer for this year’s Poppy Appeal can get in touch with Miss Jenkins on 07500225215 or JJenkins@britishlegion.org.uk