The Poppy Appeal is a major fundraiser for the Royal British Legion with millions of pounds raised each year to support the Armed Forces Community.
Written by Michael Scarce, Chair of the Canterbury Branch of the Royal British Legion.
The Appeal coincides with the period of remembrance, culminating in Remembrance Sunday. During the First World War which ran from 1914 to 1918, well over a hundred years ago now, much of the fighting took place in Western Europe. WW1 took a greater human toll than any other previous conflict with 8.5 million soldiers dead through battlefield injuries or disease. The brutal clashes between Allied and Central Powers tore up fields and forests, trees and plants and wreaked havoc on the soil beneath. Previously beautiful landscapes turned to mud, bleak and barren scenes where little or nothing could grow. But in the warm early Spring of 1915, there was a notable and striking exception to the bleakness – bright red flowers began peeking through the battle-scarred land; the bright red Flanders poppies. These resilient flowers flourished in the middle of so much chaos and destruction, growing in thousands and thousands. From the devastated landscape of the battlefields, the red poppy would grow and, thanks to famous poem, become a powerful symbol.
The poppy has been a Symbol of Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future for well over 100 years. Poppies are worn as a show of support for the armed forces community. It is a well-known and well-established symbol, one that carries a wealth of history and meaning with it. Wearing a poppy is still a very personal choice, reflecting individual experiences by those who it is intended to support; each year the nation expresses its unequivocal support for the Legion’s work through its generous support of The Poppy Appeal.
Each year the Poppy Appeal team at Canterbury distributes poppies and wreaths all over the City to businesses, schools, shops, public houses, and many other organisations. We have volunteers collecting on the streets of Canterbury or patiently sitting in supermarkets. We also have a major collection point for two weeks in the middle of Whitefriars who generously provide us with a large gazebo for the event.
The Appeal itself has a launch date of 23 October and our work at Canterbury begins right after this date and lasts for more than 4 weeks. From then on it’s a very busy schedule starting with the makeup and distribution of poppy boxes. Collections on the street requires Local Council agreement and we are very pleased that Canterbury City Council allow the maximum period of two weeks.
It takes a considerable number of volunteers to operate the Poppy Appeal each year and we would welcome enquiries from any members of the public who think they could make a useful contribution. Please call 01227 761688 if you would like more information.
Remembrance Day (Sunday 9th November) in Canterbury is a truly memorable day and commences with a parade, details of which are:
- 09:15 – Assembly of Veterans, Military personnel, Cadet Units and other Organisations and individuals at Iron Bar Square, Canterbury.
- 10:00 – Parade moves off and marches down Burgate to the Cathedral
- 10:20 – Wreath Laying Ceremony at the War Memorial in the Buttermarket
- 10:45 – Remembrance Service commences in Canterbury Cathedral
- 11:50 – March Past at the Saluting Base in the High Street
