Volunteers are urgently needed across the area to help continue the work done by the charity to help current and ex-service personnel and their families.

Regional fundraising manager for East Anglia, Judith Armstrong, was in Diss Market Place on Friday to help launch a call for more help with the Poppy Appeal and said: "People are always willing to give money but we need more to give their time.

"Two hours once a year is all we ask. There is all sorts of work volunteers can do, it's not just street and door-to-door collections; we also need people to make up and deliver the collection boxes and keep them topped up in shops and businesses, as well as help with the counting.

"No training is needed, just a willingness to help. There is no hard-sell involved, people are always willing to donate; we just need enough people to make that easier for them."

All the money from the Poppy Appeal goes directly to welfare of ex-service personnel and their dependents.

Ms Armstrong said: "The first appeal in 1921 raised £106,000; last year it was £30.36m with another £20m coming from other revenue.

"We are now needing more than ever. Health care is so much better in field hospitals than it used to be and more soldiers are returning dreadfully wounded and in need of long-term care."

The Diss area is desperately short of volunteers and the few are hard-pressed to do as much as they would like.

Patricia Edwards is the Poppy Appeal co-ordinator for Diss and District and said: "We have 20 collectors but many are in their 80s and only four are able to do door-to-door collections.

"I would love to see people come forward who can collect from the areas of the town we do not currently cover.