'Royal British Legion helped to get me back on my feet'

Ashley Martin, a corporal serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps, started volunteering for the Royal British Legion's (RBL) Poppy Appeal in 2016 and has been part of the annual fundraising campaign ever since.

While collecting for the appeal on London Poppy Day in 2017, Ashley witnessed a man collapse.

Ashley's Army training kicked in and he ran straight over, stabilised and reassured the man, as well as assessed his head injury before the paramedics arrived.

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However, even people like Ashley encounter times of hardship. In 2018, facing personal challenges, Ashley turned to the RBL for assistance.

"I reached out to the Royal British Legion, and they helped me out of a quite horrible tight spot that I was in and was able to turn my life around," Ashley said.

"I was struggling quite hard and it was there that I was struggling to put food on the table for myself and my family.

"And that's why I turned to the Royal British Legion which were able to help me with my bills and in putting shopping back in the cupboards."

The RBL provided Ash with financial assistance, including food vouchers that helped him get back on his feet.

In 2018, when Ashley asked for support from the Armed Forces charity, he became one of the 30,000 people that the RBL helps every year.

Since its establishment in 1921, the Royal British Legion has been unwavering in its support for serving personnel, veterans, and their families.

Every November, through the sale of millions of poppies, the charity contributes to a wide range of vital initiatives.

These initiatives are instrumental in providing crucial aid, such as relieving financial hardships, nurturing mental well-being, offering housing support, and facilitating recovery from trauma or illness.

Ashley, who enlisted in the Armed Forces at the age of 21, has dedicated eight years of his life to service so far.

In his role as a Combat Medical Technician, Ash offers essential medical care to service personnel, a skill set that proved invaluable during the fateful moment when he was raising funds for the RBL and promptly responded to aid the collapsed commuter.