Neil Griffiths: The poppy is needed more than ever today

THIS year will be remembered by our Armed Forces as one of the most bloody in modern history. In 2010 the death total in Afghanistan reached 340 with 3,800 aero-medical evacuations.

The bald facts do not tell us of the growing numbers of families whose lives have been shattered, nor the mental suffering. To Poppyscotland, the organisers of the Scottish Poppy Appeal, the figures represent a huge challenge, which must be met for years to come. The poppy, of course, is not just a symbol of remembrance but a fundraiser for the victims of war.

Ninety-five years ago, Canadian surgeon Lt. Colonel John McRae sat down in Flanders and wrote the haunting: "In Flanders fields the poppies blow, Between the crosses, row on row." From then remembrance had an emblem and in 1921 the first Poppy Appeal was a success.

It continues to flourish, and is growing; last year the Scottish Poppy Appeal achieved a record 2.2 million, up 8.3 per cent on 2008. In three years it has seen a 41 per cent rise in donations. Afghanistan has brought home the human cost of the war.

The theme of this year's Appeal is "Small things, big difference" to highlight the breadth of the work of Poppyscotland.

The donations help by providing grants to individuals. Last year 791,930 was given to 1,400 people. More than 1 million went to 13 support organisations. Poppyscotland is giving 1 million towards a 6 million housing project run by Scottish Veterans' Garden City Association to help build 60 new houses for veterans with disabilities. Recently, 10 flats were opened in Scone and four bungalows opened in Penicuik.

The poppy links the men in the trenches of World War I that John McRae knew to the troops in today's Afghanistan. Remembrance, from the mud of Flanders to the dust of Helmand, remains strong. So, too, is the duty of care.

That is why the poppy remains such a compelling symbol and is needed now more than ever.

• Neil Griffiths is national spokesman for the Royal British Legion Scotland