A POPPY Appeal branch has collected a staggering £24,789 in the first four months of its 2014 to 2015 collection.

The Richmond Poppy Appeal, organised by David Johnson since 1999, has already beat its previous record amount in 2012 by £166 – and Mr Johnson hopes to raise even more by this year’s Remembrance Sunday.

Mr Johnson said: “The current total has only just beat our previous record, thanks to two recent donations from Kirkby Ravensworth St Peter and St Felix’s Church and Brompton-on-Swale St Paul’s Church.

“They were late donations from last year’s Remembrance commemorations but thanks to them we have a fantastic start to our fundraising year.”

The amount collected by the Richmond Poppy Appeal branch since 2000 is £206,453, and the appeal has enjoyed annual totals of more than £20,000 since 2012, and of more than £10,000 since 2004.

The appeal runs from October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015, and so far includes £11,815 raised from 194 collection tins; £2,105 raised from Richmond’s Festival of Remembrance; £1,278 from Richmond area schools; and £1,030 from Richmond Army Cadet Force.

Mr Johnson said: “I would like to thank the residents of Richmond and surrounding villages for their kind generosity and support.

“The emotional commemoration of the start of the First World War was poignant in many ways, and I am honoured to be part of a quality team of Poppy Appeal collectors who work very hard."