THE people of Inverclyde can help fund life-changing support for veterans in the run up to Remembrance Sunday by wearing a poppy.

Poppyscotland organiser Graeme Brooks, a local councillor, has launched the local campaign to support vital aid for members of the armed forces and their families.

On the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the flower which has become a powerful and poignant symbol of the sacrifice made in conflict, Cllr Brooks says he hopes that residents will continue to remember.

Standing in front of the Gourock Cenotaph, which pays tribute to those who fell in the First and Second World war, he said: "I have been involved in the appeal for many years and it is a privilege to take on the role of organiser in Greenock.

"People choose to join the armed forces and many of them are sadly injured in action.

"This is a real opportunity for us to show our support for those who serve Queen and country."

Last year, during Covid-19, the appeal in Greenock alone raised more than £8,600.

Mr Brooks said: "It is a great amount of money."

He will now be working alongside other organisers in Inverclyde to try and top that total this year.

The poppy was adopted by the Royal British Legion in 1921 and a century later it remains a powerful emblem.

Poppies will be on sale in stores across the district.

In the run up to Remembrance Sunday, on November 14, the garden of remembrance in Greenock's Clyde Square will open on Saturday October 30 at 11.30am.