SOMERSET Royal British Legion (RBL) president Cmdre Bob Mansergh this week presented long-serving Wellington resident Madge Covey with ‘centenarian membership’.

The presentation in Wellington Conservative Club was to thank 101-year-old Madge for her support over 10 decades.

She first sold RBL poppies in the 1930s at the age of 11 years, and has been a formal legion member since 1964 and was a standard bearer from 1974 to 2010.

The official citation read: “Thank you for making sure our Armed Forces family has friends and allies standing by them in every community.

“Your efforts are greatly appreciated by all you have supported.”

In 2020, Madge was awarded a BEM for her services to the community, but had to wait a year to receive it because of the Covid pandemic.

Mr Mansergh said RBL owed Madge ‘huge thanks’ for her support over an incredibly long time.

Wellington Mayor Cllr Janet Lloyd also presented Madge with a mug featuring an exclusive poppy design produced by her artist and former Royal Marine husband and Ian, which the RBL will start selling for this year’s appeal.

Madge spoke of how ‘pleased and honoured’ she was to receive the RBL award.

She also collects for Wellington Carnival in her Pearly Queen outfit, and said: “I shall still be selling poppies again this year and collecting for the carnival.

“I am already collecting for the carnival now, not thousands, just ‘a few bob’, but every little bit helps.”

Madge moved from Southampton to live in Wellington in 1992.