North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood took part in The Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Ride in the Senedd which coincides with the start of the annual Poppy Appeal.
The annual event, taking place for a fourth year, saw Assembly Members and staff take up the challenge of riding as far as possible in three-minutes, competing against each other for the honour of winning a prestigious Legion yellow jersey.
The ride aims to raise awareness of the work of the Legion and the issues of the Armed Forces community in a unique setting. Throughout the event Legion staff were on hand to talk to participants about the unseen sacrifices made by the Armed Forces community, in Wales and beyond, every day.
AMs were joined by the Legion’s Area Manager for Wales Ant Metcalfe, Legion staff from across Wales and were supported by students from the local Military Preparation College for Training. Pure Gym Cardiff, once again generously supported the event by providing the static bikes.
Mr Isherwood said: “Each day our Armed Forces provide an incredible service to our country in all kinds of ways, many of which we don’t necessarily see, but all of which impact our lives. It was thought-provoking to hear some of the stories of how the Legion are helping the Armed Forces community and I look forward to working alongside them to support this inspirational group of people in the future.”
Ant Metcalfe, Wales Area Manager for the Royal British Legion said: “The Poppy Ride has become a popular event in the Assembly calendar, with the friendly competitive nature of Assembly Members coming to the fore. It provides us with a great platform to talking to the AM’s and their staff about the needs of the Armed Forces and veteran community and the work of the Legion in Wales in a relaxed and informal setting. I would like to extend my thanks to every person who came along today.”
