Appeal funds essential services

Collections from Wairarapa's annual poppy appeal fund essential services for the local ex-veteran community, the Returned and Services Association says.

Masterton RSA president Bob Hill said new reading glasses, dentures and mobility scooters for war veterans were all funded by appeal proceeds.

"We would probably give out, each year, something in the vicinity of 8000 to 9000 grants to our veterans for their welfare."

About 300 Masterton residents were current RSA members, most of whom were returned servicemen, he said.

Around 30 of these members fought in World War II.

"In the last eight years we've lost a lot of members ... but we've been out there recruiting."

Community support meant a lot to the veteran community, Mr Hill said. "The last Anzac Day we had close to 3000 people turn out to the Dawn Service," many of whom were primary and secondary school students.

"It is absolutely fantastic," he said.

Nationally, an estimated 10,000-12,000 Kiwi World War II veterans are still alive and many will turn out for the annual Anzac Day dawn services next week.

RSA national chief executive Stephen Clarke said Poppy Day appeal donations provided extra support for veterans and their families.

Government figures show about 9000 Kiwis were receiving the Veteran's Pension at the end of February.

About 100 were from Wairarapa.

In the year to June, Veteran's Pension payouts amounted to $176.5 million, down from $178 million the previous year.

Dr Clarke said $1.8 million was raised in last year's poppy appeal - about $10,000 in the Masterton and Tinui area alone - to support aging Kiwi servicemen and women.

"That was our second largest collection on record."

Support service costs for the ex-veteran community were estimated at $2 million annually, he said.

"It's anything that makes their lives easier."

This year, the RSA have teamed up with gambling giant Sky City in a controversial new sponsorship deal.

Dr Clarke was not expecting any backlash from the deal, which will see Warriors and Breakers players collecting for Poppy Day in Auckland today.

"It's another corporate organisation supporting one of the oldest appeals in the country."

Abuse of volunteers and war veterans in Queenstown last year marred New Zealand's Anzac Day celebrations.

Pedestrians lashed out at the Queenstown group after it was revealed manufacturing of the red flowers had shifted to China.

Dr Clarke said the behaviour "really misses" the point of the appeal, which provided much-needed help for many New Zealand war veterans.

Nationally, RSA membership has declined from a peak of 136,000 just after WWII to more than 110,000 current members, he said. Of these, about 50,000 of were returned or ex-service members.

And "we've got over 60,000 associate members who have no military service ... " Dr Clarke said. APNZ

Veteran's pensions

Carterton: 10

Masterton: 80

South Wairarapa: 28

Wairarapa total: 118

All New Zealand: 9084