BHC hosts Remembrance reception |11 November 2017

No Poppy Ball this year

This year’s Remembrance Day, or Poppy Day as it is often known, will be observed as per tradition except for its popular Poppy Ball.

The British high commissioner, Caron Röshler, along with the Poppy Ball organising committee made this announcement in a small reception held at the commissioner’s lodgings in Bel Air.

Since its inception in 1999, the Poppy Ball has become an annual charitable event during the Remembrance commemorations and has helped raise funds for ex-service men and personnel who served in the British armed forces during the world wars.

Instead, the Poppy Ball will now be held every other year and the chair of the committee, Roy Fonseka, revealed that the 2018 ball has already been set for November 3.

Mr Fonseka explained that this year was full of various activities hence many businesses and sponsors’ purses have had a lot pressure.

“We cannot keep knocking on their doors every single year,” he provided.

In response to the question that the change might create a deficit in the fundraising for ex-service men, Mr Fonseka stated: “The ball is not just about raising funds. A lot of the ex-service men also feel happy when their efforts are recognised, so it is not just a question of money.”

Aside from the organising committee, faithful sponsors of the Poppy Ball were also in attendance and some had already bought their tables for the 2018 ball.

“It was a great success last year [2016] and we are really looking forward to the Poppy Ball next year,” Mrs Röshler said as she expressed her enthusiasm for the 2018 Poppy Ball.