MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

London Poppy Day with Royal Navy sailors involved in a record fundraising

The sailors are collecting at key transport hubs and stations, all in support of the Legion’s 100th anniversary cash-raising effort.

London Poppy Day saw more than 200 Royal Navy sailors in the streets in a fundraising effort to help the Royal British Legion and raise awareness of the sacrifices made by Service personnel past and present. After last year’s fundraising effort was scaled back due to the pandemic. 2021 is looking to set a record: the biggest cash street collection of its kind in Europe.

Helicopter engineer Chief Petty Officer Steven Munday from RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset has been managing the Royal Navy’s efforts to boost funds for the annual Poppy Appeal since serving sailors first headed up to London as registered collectors.

“Once I realized the significant sums that our sailors could raise just in 12 hours of concerted effort, engaging pro-actively with the public, collecting donations for poppies and merchandise at the travel hubs into London, I became hooked,” he said.

“Over the years we’ve grown our fundraising success exponentially with our well-motivated team of sailors. The public really enjoy seeing our people out and about in public spaces, they are rarely seen in the capital when serving on ships, over the horizon, flying overhead or underwater on maritime security operations.”
The sailors are collecting at key transport hubs and stations, all in support of the Legion’s 100th anniversary cash-raising effort.

“We’re delighted to have so many Royal Navy personnel back out again for this year’s London Poppy Day, raising vital funds for the Royal British Legion in its centenary year,” said Alex Owen, Head of Armed Forces Engagement at the Royal British Legion.

“Our collectors have been at the heart of the Poppy Appeal in local communities for over 100 years, and we are celebrating having them back out across London this year, helping to make a real difference to the lives of the Armed Forces community who have given so much for us.

“Personnel in the Royal Navy provide essential protection for the UK both home and abroad, and we're grateful to every single volunteer who is helping us raise as much as possible for this year's Poppy Appeal.

“We’re encouraging people to look out for Armed Forces personnel collecting at transport hubs across the country, please donate if you can because every poppy counts.”