Veterans collect at about 50 London stations until 7pm today for London Poppy Day's 20th year, with Elaine Paige announcements and poppy buses on the network.
If you are travelling into central London from Richmond, Kew or Twickenham today, expect to meet a Poppy Appeal collector on the way. London Poppy Day is 20 years old on Thursday 29 October, and the Royal British Legion has volunteers collecting at around 50 London Underground, Elizabeth line and National Rail stations from 7am to 7pm.
More than 2,500 volunteers are out, Transport for London says, including members of the Tri-Service contingent from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. On the platforms, the voice asking for donations belongs to Dame Elaine Paige, the singer and actress, who has recorded special announcements for stations across the network to mark the anniversary.
TfL set out the plans in a press release on 29 October.
What the day is trying to beat
Last year the Royal British Legion passed its London Poppy Day target of £1 million by more than £400,000, and it is aiming to beat that this year. The first London Poppy Day, in 2006, had 10 volunteers and raised £500, according to the Legion. The organisers that year were veterans from its Lloyd’s of London branch. The Legion calls it the biggest cash street collection of its kind in Europe.
Donations can be made by contactless payment. The money pays for the Legion’s work with the Armed Forces community, which TfL says includes physical and mental health recovery services and financial and employment advice.
Where to see the poppies
Poppy-branded buses, trains and London Cable Car cabins are running across the network. TfL has also put poppy roundels on platforms and at bus stations. None of the stations it names is in the borough; the nearest to Richmond are Hammersmith bus station, Vauxhall bus station and Shepherd’s Bush London Overground station. The full list:
- Bus stations: Hammersmith, Harrow, Turnpike Lane and Vauxhall, plus Victoria Coach Station
- London Overground: Hackney Downs, Hatch End, Hoxton, Shepherd’s Bush and South Tottenham
- London Underground: Baker Street, Balham, Bethnal Green, Bounds Green, Canary Wharf, King’s Cross St Pancras, London Bridge, Tower Hill and Westminster
Royal British Legion bands are playing at a selection of stations, including Battersea Power Station, Blackfriars, Canary Wharf, Stratford and Westminster.
What they said
Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner, said:
“We are immensely proud to have supported the Royal British Legion over the past twenty years to help raise tens of millions to support the Armed Forces community, past and present, through London Poppy Day. This year we hope the special station announcements from Dame Elaine Paige, poppy inspired buses, trains, London Cable Car cabins and roundels will support the efforts of thousands of volunteers to help raise records amounts for London Poppy Day as it celebrates its twentieth year. We hope that our special tributes encourage customers passing to donate, if they are able to do so, and support the Legion’s mission to provide lifelong support to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families.”
Lucy Inskip, Director of the Poppy Appeal at the Royal British Legion, said:
“The Royal British Legion is incredibly grateful for the continued support of Transport for London as we mark the 20th anniversary of London Poppy Day. TfL has played an important role in helping us bring the capital together to honour and support our Armed Forces community, and we’re proud to have their support once again for this milestone year. Their contribution helps us raise awareness of the Poppy Appeal and ensure we can continue to be there for serving personnel, veterans and their families, whenever they need us.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“I’m delighted to support London Poppy Day as we mark the 20th anniversary of this important event in our capital. This is the biggest street collection of its kind in Europe, and I’d like to thank all the Armed Forces personnel and Poppy Appeal collectors who will be out fundraising across the city. I hope Londoners will once again show their generosity and help the Royal British Legion continue its vital work supporting veterans, serving personnel and their families.”
Veterans on the network
TfL says its links with the Armed Forces go back to the First World War, and that it is a member of the Armed Forces Covenant. Veterans work across the network as bus controllers, drivers, engineers and project managers. Earlier this month Places for London, TfL’s property company, launched Building Beyond Service, a skills programme with the Ministry of Defence to help veterans move into construction careers.
The silence on 11 November
London’s transport network will join the rest of the UK in the two-minute silence at 11am on Armistice Day, Wednesday 11 November, TfL says. For the borough’s own services three days earlier, see our guide to Remembrance Sunday in Richmond, with every service time from Barnes to Hampton.
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