REMEMBRANCE Sunday is only ten days away – and the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal is in top gear.

This year it aims to raise an astonishing £37million to provide support for the armed forces and their families.

Twenty years ago, support for the Legion seemed to be waning as there was a public perception that its membership was almost wholly made up of Second World War veterans. And they were a dying breed.

Since then, we’ve seen successive military operations in the Middle East and the difficult and deadly task faced by our forces in the Afghanistan conflict.

Technology has helped to bring graphic pictures from these war zones into our homes and brought new support for those who put their lives on the line on our behalf.

It’s not just dads and mums who have rallied to help either.

Darwen Royal British Legion officials are delighted after recruiting their youngest ever branch member, 14-year-old Tony McWhirter.

He is helping with collections and has also pledged to do a fund-raising sponsored walk.

His commitment is a credit to his generation.