The Royal British Legion's Sandbach branch's annual poppy appeal will get into top gear this weekend when members of the RBL's Riders branch ride into town to launch the event.

Members of the Riders branch are motor biking through Cheshire to raise money in support of armed forces veterans and servicemen and women and will be stopping off in Sandbach at around 3pm on Saturday (October 30th).

Now in its ninth year, the ride coincides with the launch of the national Poppy Appeal ahead of Remembrance Sunday and ahead of RBL Sandbach branch's annual Poppy Ball.

The riders are due to assemble at the Sandbach War Memorial in the town centre where the Rev Bee Boyde, Vicar of St Mary's Church, will conduct a short service to celebrate the launch of the appeal.

Around 120 collectors will be out collecting on behalf of the Sandbach branch of the RBL in the lead up to Remembrance Sunday hoping to raise around £26,000 or more on behalf of the national charity.

Sandbach Poppy Appeal organiser, Majorie Newton, and chairperson of the Sandbach branch said she is delighted the riders are stopping off in Sandbach and helping to launch the local appeal.

She said: "It's always lovely to see them and it's nice to have them with us for our launch. We're hoping as many people as possible will come on Saturday to the short service."

Poppy collectors from the Sandbach RBL branch will be at Waitrose as well as at Sandbach M6 Services north and southbound and the RBL, whose annual collection last year was hit by Covid is asking people to support the cause.

The Sandbach branch of the RBL holds its annual Poppy Ball at Sandbach Town Hall on Saturday night when around 60 people will dance the night away to help raise funds for the charity which supports serving and ex-serving members of the Armed Forces.