A poppy appeal organiser is urging Godmanchester residents to dig deep in a bid to offset income lost to charity because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Karen Pauley is setting up a cutback network for poppy sales this year, but expects Godmanchester will still be thousands of pounds down on the amount it usually hands over to Royal British Legion for its good causes.

The annual collection also has to be set against the traditional Remembrance Day ceremonies across Huntingdonshire being scaled down to prevent major street gatherings, although there may still be some low-key ceremonies.

“Godmanchester would usually raise something like £3,500 for the Poppy Appeal, but we aren’t going to get anything like that this time around for obvious reasons,” Mrs Pauley said.

“I am appealing for everyone to dig deep and do the best they can to support the Poppy Appeal and next time try to make up for this year.”

Mrs Pauley said there would be no door-to-door collections this year but local businesses were supporting fundraising by selling poppies from their counters, especially where card payments could be made.

She said the town’s two Co-op stores were backing the collection, along with One Stop, Cliffords and Bellmans Bakery.

The near life-size silhouettes of soldiers who died in the war - which have been playing an increasing role in Godmanchester’s Remembrance Day parade - will play a different part this year.

Mrs Pauley said she was urging the 77 custodians of the silhouettes to create a window display telling the story of soldier concerned who would have been commemorated on the War Memorial.

She said the pandemic had hit the production of poppies this year, leaving only a supply of the traditional paper flowers, but that she would be putting a stall out on her drive, ahead of what would have been the Remembrance event, where some classic designs would be available.

Mrs Pauley said poppies and other Remembrance products were available from the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Shop online but sales figures for these would not then be set against the amount actually spent in Godmanchester.

Do you have any plans to mark Remembrance this year? Contact The Hunts Post at via email: editor@huntspost.co.uk.