SOLDIERS will stand on ceremony this week as the annual Poppy Appeal is launched.

On Friday soldiers from the 1st Battalion, The Royal Welch will remember those who have died fighting for their country.

At 11am the Lord Mayor of Chester, Cllr Eleanor Johnson, will meet the soldiers before taking part in the ceremony, where she will pin a poppy on to a soldier before a cross is added to the war memorial at Dale Barracks.

Last year the appeal raised a record-breaking £1m in Cheshire.

Julie Dove, community fundraiser for the Royal British Legion Cheshire, said: “We are thrilled to have the support of the mayor and people of Chester for this year’s Poppy Appeal when so many of our local soldiers have and will be going on operations in Afghanistan.

“The team in this key region works tirelessly for the Poppy Appeal and to know that we have commitment from the local community is a huge bonus.”

The Legion currently spends more than a £1.4m a week helping more than 160,000 members of the armed forces family, including dependents and veterans.