Rhondda Cynon Taf Council are pleased to announce that we will be hosting the launch of the Southeast Wales Poppy Appeal 2023 for Remembrance Day. This year’s Appeal will take place at Ynysangharad War Memorial Park, Pontypridd, on Saturday 28 October at 10:30am. The service will be led by the Royal British Legion, and everyone is invited to show support for this year’s Poppy Appeal. Please can members of public arrive promptly by 10:15am, in time for the service to commence at 10:30am.
Cllr. Maureen Webber, Deputy Leader of the Cabinet and Armed Forces Champion, said: “Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s annual Poppy Appeal Service is a fantastic way for the community to honour the memories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, whilst raising money for a good cause.
“The Council always has and will continue to support our Armed Forces community, including the Royal British Legion, and this fundraising campaign is particularly important for providing support to disadvantaged veterans.
“I am pleased to say that this year’s appeal will be held at Pontypridd’s Ynysangharad War Memorial Park, on 28 October at 10.30am, and all are welcome to join.”
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council support the Royal British Legion every year, encouraging people to wear a poppy in tribute to the countless men and women who sacrificed so much to serve our country. The Poppy is the national symbol of remembrance and has been used since 1921 to raise donations for ex-servicemen, women, and their families. RCT continue to celebrate the contribution of every member of our Armed Forces community, past and present, who have stepped up to defend our way of life.
This year marked the significant 100-year anniversaries of the Aberdare Cenotaph and the War Memorial at Pontypridd Common. In 2022, the Council recruited a dedicated Heritage Monuments and Historical Memorials Officers and agreed to invest £200,000 into a programme to ensure our memorials and cenotaphs are kept at the highest standards, in line with the War Memorials Trust guidance. It is vital that we continue to honour and support those that have sacrificed so much for our country, and the maintenance of our veteran monuments is a key factor in preserving their heritage and keeping their memories alive.
The Council’s Veteran Advice Service offers a wide range of support and assistance and has helped over six hundred veterans and family members. They provide free, impartial, and dedicated information, advice and support to members of the armed forces, past and present. To speak to dedicated officers in strict confidence, call 07747 485 619 (Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm), or email: VeteranService@rctcbc.gov.uk
The latest data shows that there are more than 7,500 armed forces veterans living across Rhondda Cynon Taf. Back in 2012, the Council became one of the first local authorities to sign up to the Armed Forces Covenant, a commitment that was reaffirmed in 2018 and which set the mark for the rest of Wales. The covenant is a mutual agreement of understanding between the civilian and armed forces community across the County Borough.
In 2017, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council was presented with the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award for our continued support of the armed forces community. This award was retained in October 2022 following an assessment of the Council’s commitments, including the introduction of the Guaranteed Interview Scheme for Veterans and Reservists in January 2022.
