THE Royal British Legion’s leading supermarket partner has been raising money and holding a range of activities for the Poppy Appeal.

Sainsbury’s in Chippenham held a remembrance poetry competition which school children in the area were invited to enter, and about 150 pupils took part.

Entries were judged by Andrew Skelton, learning and outreach officer at Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre.

He said: “The poems are amazing. Every single poem showed real commitment to the ethos of Remembrance Day, and showed that the pupils of Chippenham have a true love of poetry.”

The winner of the competition, Calan Gilmour, a Year 5 pupil at Queen’s Crescent School, was presented with a certificate and £10 book voucher at the store on Monday for his poem called Those Who.

Five poems, written by pupils from Queen’s Crescent School, Redlands School, St Paul’s School and Monkton Park School in the town will appear in a booklet of 21 poems, including Calan’s winning entry, which will be available at the store for a donation to the Poppy Appeal.

For Remembrance, pupils have made a wreath that will be laid on Remembrance Sunday.

Last year, sixth form students from Hardenhuish School made a wire soldier, who this year has been covered in poppies made by school children and store colleagues.

Chippenham store manager Val Atwill said: “We are really behind the Poppy Appeal each year and our customers and colleagues continue to dig deep to help us raise as much as we can for the charity.

“The collectors visiting the store are doing such a fantastic job and I’m very proud of the activities colleagues have planned to help this fantastic cause.”