On Tuesday 12 September, Matt Vickers welcomed Lin and Rob Simpson to Parliament to thank them for their role in supporting and celebrating Stockton’s veterans.
Rob is the Chairman of Stockton and Yarm’s branch of the British Legion, whilst wife Lin is the Secretary. The pair also take on the responsibility of the annual Poppy Appeal working with an incredible team of volunteers to raise a huge amount to support the legion.
Local MP Matt Vickers invited them to Parliament after hearing they had raised a record breaking amount, collecting over £100,000 for the local branch of the British Legion and having spent time a poppy stall with veteran paratrooper Mark Thompson last year, where he was “bowled over by the generosity of local people and the dedication of local RBL volunteers.”
Matt Vickers MP said: “This was a fantastic event which provided an opportunity to say thank you to some of the volunteers in our Veteran sector.
“I’m grateful to have welcomed Lin and Rob to Parliament, and hope they enjoyed their visit. The pair are complete inspirations and I wish them the best of luck with all future efforts!
“Not only do these volunteers perform outstanding fundraising efforts, but they also bring awareness to issues faced by our veterans.
“Their direct involvement and impact they can have on local communities make it so important for myself and colleagues to have contact with local leaders of volunteer groups. They are a real mouthpiece, and keep veterans engaged so that we can work for them.
“They were very keen to tell me that it’s not just them but a whole team of volunteers who work incredibly hard to deliver this life changing work. The fact that I bump into Lin, Rob and their amazing team at so many community events is testament to their dedication”.
The event was coordinated to honour the thousands of people who work in the veteran’s voluntary sector across the UK.
After taking a tour of parliament, guided by Matt, they then headed over to 10 Downing Street, where a reception was held.
The evening was hosted by Johnny Mercer, Minister for Veteran Affairs, who addressed the attendees.
