Dear Editor,

I would like to give a tremendous thank you to everyone involved in this year’s Poppy Appeal.

From those who gave up their time to man the stalls in Tesco and Morrisons, to the cadets who over two Saturdays collected a total of £1,268, to all the staff at Tesco and Morrisons where we collected a staggering £14,400, to the local schools who raised a wonderful £974, to all the businesses who participated and allowed us to display our poppy boxes.

In all, we raised £19,198.

Without your generous contributions this would not be possible.

Many, many thanks to you all.

This money goes to support the Royal British Legion so they can be on hand to help and support ex-Service personnel and their families.

Thank you once again.

Phillip Collins, Poppy Appeal organiser

Minehead

Dear Editor,

Christmas is a time for connecting with loved ones and enjoying plenty of festivities, gatherings and conversation. However, for those with undiagnosed hearing loss, this time of year sometimes feels like a struggle and can be isolating.

Over the festive period, you may have noticed yourself or a loved one struggling to hear. Perhaps you were turning the TV up louder than others prefer, struggling to follow conversations at Christmas gatherings or frequently asking people to repeat what they said. You or a loved one may have found it harder to hear on the phone, felt like others were mumbling, or your partner may have felt you weren’t listening.

As we enjoy the quieter days between Christmas and New Years celebrations, if any of these habits feel familiar, it could be time to check your hearing.

Thankfully, it’s very simple to look for signs of hearing loss in yourself or loved ones and to do something about it. Our free three-minute online hearing check at rnid.org.uk/check can be the first step on your journey to find out if you should see someone about your hearing and get our advice on what to do next.

Sincerely,

Crystal Rolfe

Director of health at RNID