GENEROUS residents have donated £7,500 to help serving and former members of the Armed Forces.

The Royal British Legion (RBL) branch in Bramley raised more than ever during the 2009 Poppy Appeal, which ran for just two weeks before Remembrance Day on November 11.

The branch covers four areas including Bramley and Little London, which raised £2,055, Sherfield-on-Loddon, which collected £2,000, Sherborne St John, that raised £2,600, and the Stratfield Saye and Hartley Wespall area, which collected £850.

The Bramley and Little London total was up from £1,300 last year. Charles Lewis, branch chairman, said: “This is an excellent result for house-to-house and static collections, particularly because we are in the middle of this huge recession and this is a small village. We were lucky to have a lot of help from Bramley WI (Women’s Institute) and support from local businesses, and it’s down to these people who give up their time and go out to knock on doors and collect money that we have this total. We are thrilled.”

Money raised during the Poppy Appeal goes towards providing help and welfare for current and former Service men and women and their families, and the Bramley RBL branch is planning to hold a black-tie Poppy Ball next summer to help boost their Poppy Appeal funds.