POPPY collectors in Southampton today have two good reasons to celebrate.

Not only are fundraisers delighted after winning a Daily Echo backed campaign for more collection days in the city but they are also celebrating their most successful year ever.

The Royal British Legion expects this year's collection to be even bigger after the city council decided yesterday to allow a full week in the city centre in the run- up to Remembrance Sunday.

Figures for Southampton show that cash raised since November is already up by almost £10,000 on the £31,000 raised in 2004.

Collectors were given four additional days on the streets last year in an eleventh-hour climbdown after the Daily Echo campaigned against the council's policy of giving charities just one day each in the city centre.

We revealed that every other council in Hampshire - plus major cities such as Norwich, Oxford and Nottingham - allow a full week of street collections.

Now the Royal British Legion has been given from Monday to Saturday with plenty of time to organise more collectors.

"It's absolutely wonderful news. I'm very pleased. It made a huge difference to us last year," said Archie Parsons, Poppy Appeal organiser for Southampton's largest branch, in Eastgate Street.

Awareness

"In our particular area the last total we had for our branch was about £27,000, which was way up on the previous year.

"There was a lot more awareness last year because of the Daily Echo and it helped to bring more people to volunteer at the time.

"The council's decision now gives us the opportunity to get more people in place whereas last year the extra time came at the last minute."

Collections in Southamp-ton made the most dramatic rises in the county last year - up by 46 per cent in one of the city's branches.

Overall collections in Hampshire were up by 3.8 per cent from £786,0004 in 2004 to £816,505 so far. Another £10,000 is expected before the 2005 Poppy Appeal closes in May.

The rise coincided with a high profile year for veterans as it was the 60th anniversary of VE and VJ day.

However, Royal British Legion county chairman Bob Knight warned against complacency. "We need to search for new blood to understudy and learn the trade from our experienced poppy appeal organisers," he said.

"We need new recruits, not necessarily from within the membership, to fill existing vacancies."

Southampton councillor Royston Smith, chairman of the licensing committee, said the Poppy Appeal should be made an exception because it was the cause that had given others the freedom to exist.

Anyone interested in volunteering this year should call the Eastgate Street RBL branch on 023 8046 3126.