16 Air Assault Brigade are taking part in The Royal British Legion's London Poppy Day, 29 October 2015.

Troops from 16 Air Assault Brigade are taking part in The Royal British Legion's London Poppy Day today (Thu 29 Oct).

Approximately 150 troops from the Brigade's units based at Colchester's Merville Barracks and Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk have travelled down to London to raise funds for the Poppy Appeal.

The troops collected donations from commuters, tourists and workers in Liverpool Street, King's Cross and St Pancras stations and the surrounding streets. The Band of The Parachute Regiment and The Band of The Army Air Corps, both based in Colchester, set the fundraising efforts to music.

Lance Corporal Luigi Rosella was collecting at Liverpool Street with colleagues from Wattisham-based 3 Regiment Army Air Corps.

The 22-year-old from Peterborough said: "The Poppy Appeal is really important to everyone in the Army, because it's about supporting our past and those killed in war. The public have been really supportive towards us and generous in their donations."

Corporal Kylie Swanepoel MC was at Kings Cross with colleagues from Colchester-based 8 Field Company (Para), 7th Air Assault Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

The 28-year-old from Ballymena said: "London Poppy Day has been a really good experience. Everyone has been really interested in talking to us and thanking us for what we do, and it's great to feel that support. People have been really generous in giving to the Poppy Appeal - my team filled five donation buckets across the morning rush hour, which is amazing!"

London Poppy Day, in its tenth year, is the country's largest one-day street collection event, raising money to fund the Legion's work supporting military personnel, veterans and their families.

In 2014, 16 Air Assault Bde troops collected £140,735 towards the event's £1.25m total.