Spotlight on LAURA LAFFAN, who is a community fundraiser for the Poppy Appeal

  • WHAT I AM CALLED: Laura Laffan l MY AGE: 28 years old.
  • WHAT I DO: I work for The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal as a community fundraiser covering Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. My job is to look after all the volunteers who help raise funds. The Poppy Appeal is not just a two-week event, we aim to raise money every day of the year. As part of my role I have to recruit new organisers who look after ‘districts’, as well as Poppy Appeal collectors. This is becoming harder as our membership base is growing older and most people have a number of other commitments.
  • WHERE I LIVE: I have just bought my first home and live in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire l WHO I LOVE: My family, friends and boyfriend Rob. They keep me sane
  • HAPPIEST YEAR: I can’t pick one year as my happiest year. Every year has had great and defining moments. This year has been pretty good I bought my first home and my best friend got engaged.
  • DARKEST MOMENT: Being seriously ill and being hospitalised. At the time I did not realise how serious the situation was but I realise now that I could have died.
  • PROUDEST BOAST: I’m not really a boasting kind of girl.
  • BIGGEST REGRET: I’m not a “regret” kind of person. You learn from the decisions you make.
  • WORST WEAKNESS: My worst weakness is that I can never be wrong. I will argue the point even if I know the other person is right.
  • LESSON LEARNED: That school days really are the best days of your life.
  • DULLEST JOB: Temping. Definitely temping. For one of my temp jobs I spent two weeks in a cupboard with the smallest window, filing records of care patients that hadn’t been sorted through for more than five years.
  • GREATEST SHAME: I’m still hopeless and get my left and right mixed up.
  • LIFE-LONG HERO: I’d never really had a hero until I started working for the Legion. I have met a number of people who have either lost limbs in conflicts or suffer post traumatic stress who are truly inspiring. Visiting the Battle Back Centre at Lilleshall especially was an eye-opener. Their motto is ”Doing the same things differently” and it is truly inspiring to see a double amputee at the top of a climbing wall.
  • OLDEST FRIEND: My oldest and best friend is Georgie. We were at secondary school together but didn’t really become friends until we both had gap years at the same time. We have been best friends now for nearly 10 years.
  • THE PERSON I KNOW WITH THE WIDEST SMILE: My crazy friend Erica. I used to work with her before working for The Legion. She always knew how to cheer you up when you were having a bad day at work.
  • MY FAVOURITE DREAM: I always love the flying dreams I have.