00:00I'm Gary Jones and I serve with the Duke of Lancaster Law Enforcement.
00:10My name is Greg Walsh and I serve with the Queensland Crew Regiment.
00:14We are all Wigan Council employees and we are going to be walking the 80 miles.
00:19The reason why I'm doing it is because people tend to forget that when people sign on that
00:27dotted line it's a lifetime commitment and they're signing to defend and sacrifice their
00:34own life for the country and there's approximately about 16,000 ex-servicemen and women on our
00:40streets.
00:41There's been a 14% increase over the last 12 months and they need help, these people
00:46need help and the more we can raise and donate to the British Legion they can get out there
00:54and help these people.
00:56One of the main reasons is for a good cause and the money will be put in good use for
01:03the forgotten people and people who need it in support and another reason for myself it's
01:10a challenge I want to set myself and do for myself mentally for me and I think achieving
01:15that will be a big achievement.
01:17And if anybody sees us come across and make a donation, if you want to walk with us feel
01:24free.
01:25Or beat your own if you're driving past us.
01:29All we want is as much awareness and support from everybody, it would be great for everyone
01:34to support this cause.
01:35Because we've all got a connection won't we although I know we're all ex-services but
01:40I mean at some point you can go and see every family this country's got, relatives, grandparents,
01:45great grandparents, they've all committed during other conflicts, First World War, Second
01:50World War.
01:51Why would you forget that?
01:56I'm Andrea Yates and I served with the TA in the RMLY D Squadron based in Wigan.
02:05Yeah Andrea Yates I served, I joined when it had just transitioned from DLOY to the
02:12RMLY.
02:13It's road mercy in Lancaster and Yormley based in Wigan.
02:16Obviously it's 80 years, it's a big occasion this year, the D-Day landings and then obviously
02:23Gaz has come up with this really good idea of let's walk 80 miles.
02:27I just think it's a fantastic cause to support the British Legion with what they're doing
02:32and you know it's a special year so it's an honour really to have been asked to take part
02:37in this and I'm really looking forward to it.
02:40It'll be really hard, it will be hard, so it's 80 miles over four days.
02:45Them gentlemen who've allowed us to do this now 80 years on, I think they've worked a
02:52lot harder than what we're going to be doing over four days.
03:04My name's Steve Keneally, I'm the Poppy Appeal Manager for Merseyside in West Lancashire.
03:09The RML generally support for the armed forces community, whatever the need, wherever it's
03:17needed.
03:18The way it's categorised is serving personnel, reservists, veterans and the families of all
03:24the people that I've just mentioned.
03:27The RBL was set up in 1921 and it was in response to soldiers that had come back from the First
03:33World War that were homeless, couldn't feed themselves, didn't have clothing, so it was
03:39set up to provide a support network for them.
03:452024's Poppy Appeal this year is about the psychological scars, sometimes the scars we
03:51don't see.
03:52That mental health awareness is absolutely central to what we're trying to do and your
04:00poppy shows that you care.
04:02All the funds raised will go and help people that are suffering through the psychological
04:08scars of service and warfare and peacekeeping and all the things that they've taken part
04:13in.
04:14The 80 miles for 80 years walk that Gary and his team are doing is arduous, it's difficult,
04:22it's also going to be in November so it's going to be cold, probably wet because it's
04:26the UK.
04:27What I would say, if you do see anything where there's a QR code or there's a link or the
04:34Just think about people being out on the streets, just think about people being cold, tired,
04:40wet, hungry, a little bit disillusioned with what's going on.
04:45If you can, just donate.
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