Organisers of this year's Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal are hoping to beat the �71,000 raised in Norwich last year.

Poppies are on sale across the country from Saturday, October 27 until Remembrance Sunday, November 11, with about 30,000 Legion volunteers taking to the streets to raise millions of pounds for the appeal. This year the Legion's national appeal target is �42m, which is up on the record �40m raised last year.

Organisers in Norwich will be selling poppies for the duration from a shop on the first floor of the Castle Mall shopping centre – next to Mothercare.

And Norwich City Football Club has once again allowed a day of collecting at Carrow Road on November 3, ahead of the game with Stoke City.

Norfolk's poppy appeal was launched at RAF Marham in the west of the county, and a Tornado has been re-badged with specially designed Royal British Legion Poppy livery.

Ernie Green, chairman of the Royal British Legion Norwich branch, said: 'The Norwich branch alone raised more than �71,000 last year, and the figure raised across the county was �638,000. That was achieved thanks to the generosity of people in Norfolk. As such, I would like to go on record to say a big thank you to everyone that helped, and an even bigger thank you to the volunteers. If we can, we would like to match or even better the figure raised last year, and again we are looking for people to support and help us.'

Lyn Hatch, community fundraiser for Norfolk, added: 'The Legion's national fundraising target is a record-breaking �42m, so this is going to be the biggest Poppy Appeal ever.'

The national fundraising appeal was launched in London yesterdaywith a concert at Trafalgar Square, featuring military bands and pop singers.

Across the country people wishing to donate can do so at any time through the internet or by text.

If you would like to be a volunteer in Norwich during Poppy Fortnight call 01603 414915 or email volunteer@poppynorwich.org.uk