THE 1998 Poppy Appeal awards were presented to cadets at the Castle Armoury TA Centre in Bury this week.

The cadets and their units have played an important part in the appeal for many years.

A cadet from each of the Sea Cadet Corps, the Army Cadet Force and the Air Training Corps received an individual shield for collecting the most money on the Saturday prior to Remembrance Sunday.

Bury Army Cadet Force were winners of their section in the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester's appeal competition and the Bury Sea Cadet Corps were runners-up in theirs.

And the Bury branch of The Royal British Legion won The George Haffner Trophy which is awarded by the Lancashire County Area of The Royal British Legion to the branch with the largest cash collection percentage increase over a three-year period. The figure rose from £13, 925 to £22,700.

The trophy was last won by Bury in 1978 and its return marked a rather special evening. The presentations were made by Wing Commander Kevan Greenhalgh, the Commanding Officer of the East Lancashire Wing of the Air Training Corps.

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