Poppies are starting to be spotted by motorists up and down the country as Maritime Transport, a leading provider of integrated road and rail solutions for UK businesses, once again proudly supports The Royal British Legion’s (RBL) Poppy Appeal. The iconic memorial symbol has been fitted to 1,400 Maritime tractor units to be displayed for the duration of November, to commemorate the immeasurable sacrifices made by those who lost their lives in the First World War and in subsequent conflicts, and those who continue to serve in the Armed Forces.
For the seventh consecutive year, drivers and staff at Maritime volunteered on the 30th and 31st October to simultaneously fix the poppies to the front grille of each vehicle. The RBL’s Poppy Appeal is a cause that means so much to employees, including serving and ex-service personnel based across the company’s 40+ depot network.
John Williams, Group Executive Chairman, Maritime Transport:
‘For 100 years, The Royal British Legion has created better futures for individuals who have served and their families. We are really proud to be a part of the fantastic work they do, whilst we pay tribute to our Armed Forces and those who have died in the line of duty. As an organisation, we employ a number of military personnel, and recognise the invaluable skillset they bring to their roles each day which we benefit significantly from. We encourage everyone to support this important campaign to raise vital funds for our Armed Forces community.’
As well as receiving the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme’s Silver Award from the Ministry of Defence earlier this year, Maritime was nominated by the RBL’s Suffolk Community Fundraiser, Mandi Cox-Osborne, to receive one of the ceramic red poppies that filled the Tower of London’s moat in 2014, in recognition of the company’s support to the Armed Forces community. The major art installation, titled ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’, commemorated the centenary of the outbreak of World War I and consisted of 888,246 ceramic poppies, each intended to represent one British or Colonial serviceman killed. The ceramic poppy will take pride of place within Maritime’s award-winning headquarters in Felixstowe.
Mandi Cox-Osborne, Community Fundraiser, Suffolk Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal:
‘We are extremely grateful for the support Maritime has given the RBL over the years, and the work it carries out to support the Armed Forces community, particularly service leavers through various innovative recruitment initiatives like its Professional Driver Scheme. Maritime’s donation this year will fund three places at our Battle Back centre in Lilleshall, for wounded, injured, and sick service personnel, as well as veterans, as they start their individual recovery plans. Thank you to everyone at Maritime for your involvement this year.’
