The Lord Mayor of Chester was joined by schoolchildren and a choir for the launch of the city’s Poppy Appeal at Storyhouse.

The fundraising target in West Cheshire this year is £530,000, with a national target of £47m, which will help the Royal British Legion to continue its vital work delivering support to the armed forces community.

Last year, the people of Chester and West Cheshire raised £527,000.

At Friday’s launch, there was a short Remembrance event with songs from Caldy Valley Voices Choir in the presence of 120 schoolchildren from the Chester Bluecoat and Overleigh St Mary’s schools, and Cllr Razia Daniels, Lord Mayor of Chester.

Community fundraiser for West Cheshire, Ruth Jones, said: “By wearing a poppy you are supporting the Armed Forces community both past and present, and we’re asking everyone to Rethink Remembrance this year and reflect on the contribution made by all generations of the Armed Forces.

“The poppy is not only a symbol of Remembrance but also of hope. We’ll never forget the contribution and sacrifices of our past heroes, but we also wear the poppy as a symbol of hope for our Armed Forces community living on today.

“We are pleased that we were able to launch the Poppy appeal at Storyhouse this year, it’s such a great venue in the middle of the city.”

The Legion is appealing for volunteers to help with collections in shops and supermarkets across West Cheshire. Contact Ruth Jones on 07768 238875 if you can assist in any way.