Dedicated Poppy Appeal organiser from Burgess Hill awarded British Empire Medal in King’s Birthday Honours 2025

Sarah Voce was listed in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025, which were announced on Friday, June 13, for services to the Royal British Legion and the community.

She told the Middy: “It was a great surprise and I am grateful to the RBL (Royal British Legion) for putting my name forward.”

Sarah, who is now retired, is a volunteer who organises the collection for the appeal. She explained that this work starts in June with the ordering of stock and arranging with the Market Place Shopping Centre and Tesco to have tables to collect at throughout October and November. Her role also involves delivering the wreaths, finding people to help with the collection and arranging dates for the Nautical Training Corp, Army and Airforce Cadets to help, as well as other volunteers for delivering boxes of poppies to schools and shops.

Sarah said: “When the appeal ends after Remembrance Sunday, we have to collect all the boxes back in. However there are things to do all the year round and I will be at the Summer Fayre in Burgess Hill on Sunday (June 22) collecting for the Poppy Appeal.”

Sarah said she is a secretary of the Royal British Legion (RBL) branch and chairman of its Women’s Section too. She said: “I am also a member of the newly formed Armed Forces and Veteran’s Breakfast Club and the Royal Naval Association.”

She said she became involved with the Poppy Appeal after she left the Royal Navy. Sarah said: “My late husband and I both joined the RBL. We started to help with collecting and over the years I have got more involved. I helped previous organisers and ten years ago I took over as the Burgess Hill Organiser.”