KEITH Brown MSP was at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory last week to help launch a stunning new commemorative poppy, which will be distributed and worn during the 2018 Scottish Poppy Appeal.

As part of the leading Armed Forces charity’s programme of activity to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War, Poppyscotland has commissioned a Centenary Poppy, which has the text “1918-2018” embossed in gold across the traditional and iconic red paper poppy. It will be the first change to the poppy in decades.

Mr Brown, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work and Minister for Veterans and who is a former Royal Marine himself, met fellow veterans at the historic Poppy Factory. The team of 41 veterans hand-make more than five million poppies each year, and, this year, 2.3 million of them will be Centenary Poppies.

Poppyscotland provides life-changing support to the Armed Forces community. Money raised from the Scottish Poppy Appeal and our year-round fundraising enables us to deliver support to members of the Armed Forces community in Scotland by providing tailored funding and assistance. For more information, please visit www.poppyscotland.org.uk.

DAVID A FINDLAY,

Poppyscotland.