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The grand total is in for dedicated poppy seller Sian Cameron.

And it’s been another bumper year for the NETA Training Group support centre manager who helped raise a staggering £58,779.51 for the Royal British Legion.

That is some £9,000 more than the previous year, and the sixth consecutive year of smashing her personal best – since taking over as poppy appeal organiser for Hartlepool seven years ago.

“It is the highest the people of Hartlepool have raised by a big chunk and it’s incredible,” said Sian.

Despite the many hours spent organising, distributing poppies, manning stalls, counting the cash and getting other people on board, the 35-year-old is always first to point out that it is very much a community effort.

“I couldn’t do it without the generosity of the people of Hartlepool and our dedicated team of volunteers,” she said.

And she added that her fellow NETA staff can always be relied upon to back the effort in any way they can.

Following in her late father Ian Cameron’s footsteps, Sian stepped into the role after losing her dad in 2010.

“It is something he was really passionate about and he was proud to be involved,” she said.

“I don’t quite know how I managed that first year.” But like her dad before her she was quickly bitten by the bug. Now she says she has it down to a military operation.

“That makes a big difference and you learn from each year.”

She said: “I would like to say thank you to everyone who has helped and to all those who buy a poppy. We couldn’t do it without them.

“It is seeing the generosity of people and all the amazing people that you meet along the way that make it massively fulfilling.

“Next year we aim to make it even bigger and better.”

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