Festival of Remembrance brings in brass (From York Press)

Festival of Remembrance raises £10,000 for Poppy Appeal

8:55am Wednesday 1st February 2012 in Fundraising fun By Mike Laycock, Chief reporter

YORK’S Festival of Remembrance raised the “magnificent” sum of £10,000 for the Poppy Appeal following its return to its traditional home, the Barbican.

Organiser Ted Griffiths said he was delighted with the figure, which was considerably up on the amount raised during the previous three years, when the entertainment venue was closed and the event was staged instead at the smaller venues of the Grand Opera House and Theatre Royal.

Mr Griffiths said: “The York branch of the Royal British Legion was the first organisation to hold an event in the Barbican when it first opened in 1991 and was the last to hold an event there when it closed in 2008, and we are happy to be back where it all began.”

He said that after the accounts had been audited, it had been confirmed that a total of £10,000 had been raised for the Poppy Appeal.

In the previous three years, it had twice raised £5,000 and once brought in the sum of £7,000.

He added that since being founded, the festivals had raised a grand total of £132,000 for the appeal.

Last November’s event, which came as the Royal British Legion marked its 90th birthday, featured acts including Choirgirl of the Year Isabel Suckling from Fulford, the Heavy Cavalry and Cambrai Band and York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir.

Mr Griffiths thanked all the performers who offered their services for free, and also sponsors, the audience and programme advertisers.

“An audience of 1,000 enjoyed a first-class evening of entertainment, culminating in a Service of Remembrance,” he said.

He revealed that a date had already been set for this year’s festival at the Barbican - Sunday November 4, when Eileen Lavender would again be the producer. Further details would be announced later.