Posted 11 Nov 2021
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.’