Numerous operators have made great efforts to support the Poppy Appeal with striking liveries and promotional travel deals. Elizabeth Howlett looks at a selection of them
Since 1921, The Royal British Legion (RBL) has been organising Remembrance events for The Poppy Appeal, to commemorate the fallen Service men and women killed in conflict.
Money raised goes directly to RBL’s welfare work providing support to anyone serving in the British Armed Forces, anyone who has previously served and also extends to their families.
Typically, bus and coach operators around the UK have held charitable events, designed striking liveries or offered promotional tickets to help raise funds for the noble cause –this year is no exception.
Stagecoach East Midlands
Stagecoach East Midlands have commissioned a bus sporting poppies and wooden crosses on its livery. The remembrance vehicle, an ADL Enviro 300, will be running on services across the region all year round.
The decoration will include memorial messages on the side of the bus, serving as a visual tribute to the millions of men and women who have served, and continue to serve our armed forces.
The operator held a host of events in the run up to Remembrance Day. Alongside donating £500 to RBL and encouraging staff to wear their poppies with pride, it also gave RBL fundraisers a chance to travel on all its routes for free.
Michelle Hargreaves, Managing Director of Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “By enabling British Legion fundraisers to travel on the bus free of charge they can reach so many more people as they raise money through the sale of poppies ahead of Remembrance Day on Sunday November, 13.”
A social media campaign ‘Tweet your hero’ was set up on Twitter asking followers to tweet about a hero in their life, past or present. For every tweet received Stagecoach East Midlands donated £1 to RBL, up to £500 until Sunday November, 13.
Nottingham City Transport
Nottingham City Transport (NCT) has unveiled its ‘Sean Upton’ bus as this year’s ‘Poppy Bus’. The vehicle is named after Warrant Officer Sean Upton of the 5th Regiment Royal Artillery, who died in an explosion while he was on foot patrol in the Sangin district of Helmand Province in July 2009. Sean’s dad, Jack Upton, was a driver for NCT for 36 years before he retired in 2012.
This aptly chosen vehicle features 224 names on the rear, paying reverence to the NCT employees who gave their lives during World War One.
NCT Marketing Manager, Anthony Carver-Smith, said: “Each year, our Poppy Bus acts as a strong visual reminder of the sacrifices so many have made during times of conflict, and we hope we play a small part in helping to raise much-needed funds for this worthy cause.”
The Sean Upton Poppy bus will be servicing various NCT routes in and around the city over the next few months and NCT will also be having collection boxes at its main sites.
Lothian Buses
Throughout November, Lothian Buses will run a specially-created ‘Poppy Bus,’ on various routes. The bespoke bus features quotes from well-known war poets such as John McCrae and Robert Laurence Binyon.
The bus was unveiled to the public on Thursday October 27, 2016 in front of the Stone of Remembrance outside the City Chambers on High Street in Edinburgh. Lothian Buses invited former service personnel who now work for the company and representatives from Poppy Scotland to be amongst the special buses’ first passengers.
Poppy Scotland is a charity that provides life-changing support to men and women in the armed forces. The charity also funds services in advice, employment, housing, mental health, mobility and respite.
Gordon Michie, Head of Fundraising at Poppy Scotland, said: “This year, the theme of our campaign is the extra mile to recognise all that the Armed Forces community do during the course of their service. So, as the Poppy Bus racks up the miles across the capital, we hope the Scottish public will go their own extra mile with their support for this year’s Poppy Appeal. Whether that’s putting a little bit more in the poppy tin, or doing something entirely new to raise funds, every penny helps us to offer life-changing support to our ex-servicemen, women and their families.”
First Bus Aberdeen
First Bus in Aberdeen offered concession tickets to armed forces personnel, veterans and other customers wearing poppies and travelling to Remembrance services. By providing a free single journey on Remembrance Sunday 13, November the operator hoped to make attending services and events to commemorate our armed forces, as simple as possible.
First Aberdeen Commercial Manager, Daniel Laird, said: “This is an important day for many people who want to remember family, friends and others who have been lost in military service. We are pleased to be supporting the occasion and want to make it as easy as possible for people to attend the events taking place across the city.”
Kevin Gray, MM, Chief Executive Officer of Legion Scotland, said: “Everyone has a connection to the Armed Forces, be it through great grandparents, grandparents, parents, brothers and sisters or friends. We thank First Aberdeen for offering this free journey to the public who are travelling in order to pay tribute to and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country, sacrifices we must never forget.”
Cumbria Classic Coaches
Cumbria Classic Coaches (CCC) provided two heritage buses for the launch event of Cumbria RBL’s Poppy Appeal 2016. Two vintage double-decker buses set out simultaneously. The first was a 1959, 60 seat convertible Britsol LoDekka. This vehicle ran routes around northern Carlisle. The second vehicle, a red liveried 1955, 55 seat, AEC Regent started its journey from Barrow and called at Ulverston, Kendal, Sedbergh and Appleby.
Alongside this a heritage poppy decorated bus, not provided by CCC, paid a visit to the Motor Museum to kick start the event. The Royal British Legion’s Backbarrow with Crake Valley Branch Vice President, Ron Mein, said: “The poppy bus called at the Motor Museum to show the Royal British Legion’s appreciation for the magnificent contribution in raising £5,543 for the poppy appeal. The money was raised by visitors making generous donations into two poppy boxes attached to the World War 1 exhibition constructed by the museum staff.”
He added: “The original intent was to raise £1,000 but as can be seen, this target has been exceeded and is still increasing. It is envisaged that the WW1 exhibition will remain until the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1 in 2018.”
Bryan’s Coaches
Formed in 1981 by William Bryans and originally consisting of a 16 seater minibus. Today, Bryan’s Coaches boasts a fleet of approximately 22 coaches and buses. The Stirlingshire-based operator has decked out at least three of its fleet with a poppy in the front window (which you may have seen on CBW’s Facebook page). DAF Temsa, DAF Irizar and MAN Neoplan coaches adorn the poppy in support of Remembrance Day, which has not gone unnoticed by passengers.
Stevie George from Bryan’s Coaches said: “We have decorated the coaches every year for four years. Many passengers comment on it and praise them, especially the older ones. We also take the profits made from one day of commercial service jobs, and donate them to Poppy Scotland.”
Go North East
Go North East have a regularly decorated Scania bus that has been running for four years. The distinctive white and red livery features the poppy on its Gateshead route and is believed to be one of the first poppy buses, by Steven King, Head of Marketing and Retail for Go North East. “The vehicle shows important messages throughout the year, but today every vehicle in our fleet pulled over to engage in a one minute silence of remembrance. We will continue to support RBL and wear our poppies as this is engrained within our company,” said Steven.
Stagecoach West
Stagecoach West have decorated their entire fleet consisting over 250 buses with window vinyls with ‘Text to Donate’ information so passengers can help support RBL’s Poppy Appeal. It also offered free travel on Remembrance Sunday November, 13 for military and ex-military personnel in honour of the special day.
The main event was held on Saturday, November 5 in the city centre and featured a performance from the AARC & Military Wives choir volunteers. Rupert Cox Managing Director of Stagecoach West, said: “We’re confident our passengers who are always so supportive of our charitable campaigns, will be reminded on every journey how important the work of the Royal British Legion is. If you are military or ex-military personnel, all you need to do is show your service pass to the driver, sit back and relax and we’ll take you wherever you need to go.”
Nicole Mayall, of the Royal British Legion has been working with Stagecoach for some time, she commented: “This year we want to encourage the public not only to remember those who served in the First and Second World Wars, but also remember the sacrifices made by other generations of the Armed Forces. The Legion is there throughout our beneficiaries’ entire lives to help them with cash in a crisis, recovery after injury or illness, moving on after the military, and ensuring they are not disadvantaged because of their service.”
