THE Poppy Appeal co-ordinator for Bradford on Avon has retired after 33 years, having collected more than £217,550.

Dave Allison, 77, has handed over his badge, collecting bucket and responsibilities to his successor, Simon McNeill-Ritchie, who is a Bradford on Avon town councillor.

Mr Allison, of Trowbridge Road, Bradford on Avon, has spent over three decades organising volunteers to collect donations for the annual Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

Last year, the annual Poppy Appeal across Wiltshire raised a record £727,000, including more than £10,000 from the town.

He said: “It has been an enormous privilege to have been the local Poppy Appeal co-ordinator for Bradford on Avon. Sadly, my health has declined over the past year so I am having to give it up.

“In recent years, I have expanded the number of collection points and, as a result, donations from Bradford on Avon and the surrounding area has increased considerably.”

Mr Allison began collecting in 1984 after the town’s army cadets gave up the task. His youngest son, now Brigadier Nigel Allison, was a former cadet.

“When I first started, we had many house-to-house collectors. Now we have more fixed collection points in pubs, clubs, shops and offices.

“One of the biggest benefits in recent years has been the support of Sainsbury, who let us collect at the store.

“Also, the number of schools who collect for the appeal has changed. They now have special packs for the juniors.”

Mr Allison says they used to encounter some people wearing white poppies but these are not so commonplace now.

In the early days, Mr Allison only used to collect just over £1,000. His total last year was more than £13,000.

Mr McNeill-Ritchie, 57, of Coppice Hill, Bradford, is a former British Foreign office diplomat who worked in Japan and South America. He is writing a PhD thesis on the role of charities in the First World War and between WW1 and WW2.

He said: “I am delighted to be taking on this role. It is going to be a hard act to follow in David’s footsteps. He has been there for a very long time and has done so much.

“This is a very important role, never more so than for the centenary of the end of the First World War and the town’s Countdown to Peace initiative planned in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday on November 11.”

The Royal British Legion annual appeal raises more than £45.9 million nationally to help support past and present armed forces servicemen and women and their families.

Fiona Dobson, the RBL’s community fundraiser for Wiltshire, said: “To mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, we are saying a big thank you this year to all those who served, sacrificed and changed our world.”

Poppy Appeal street collections across Wiltshire will be held from Saturday, October 27 to Saturday, November 10. Contact your local Royal British Legion, or Fiona Dobson on 01249 783651 if you wish to volunteer.