First Bus Sheffield launches poppy bus appeal in partnership with Royal British Legion
- First Bus in Sheffield launched their poppy appeal bus in partnership with the Royal British Legion.
- The Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Colin Ross bought the first poppy as the bus launched the campaign outside the Crucible Theatre.
- First Bus has a strong affiliation with the Armed Forces, with many veterans working for the business.
- Royal British Legion with its representatives and military personnel were present for a photo call to start their 2023 poppy appeal.
On Friday 27 October, bus operator First Bus in Sheffield launched their poppy appeal bus in partnership with the Royal British Legion.
First Bus has a strong affiliation with the Armed Forces, with many veterans working for the business.
The bus was present at the beginning of the poppy appeal launch in Sheffield City Centre, in which the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Colin Ross bought the first poppy.
Veterans, the Lord Mayor, Air and Sea Cadets and volunteers were then invited along to Tudor Square to see the poppy bus for the first time and were taken on a special tour around the City Centre.
Inside the bus, are also drawings from primary school students across Sheffield of poppies, showing what Remembrance Day means to them.
Zoe Hands, Managing Director at First Bus, Manchester, Midlands, and South Yorkshire said: “It’s a great honour for First Bus to be among those leading Remembrance in Sheffield, and indeed a privilege to be an employer of so many who have served our country.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who was involved in making the poppy bus happen.”
Karen Gardner, Poppy Appeal Manager for the Royal British Legion in Sheffield & Rotherham, said: "We are very grateful for the support of First Bus for our 2023 Poppy Appeal. All funds raised from the Poppy Appeal are used by the RBL to support veterans and their families, from help with the cost of living, employment, and housing, to support with recovery after trauma or illness.
“We want to encourage as many people as possible to get a poppy this year and show their gratitude and support to those in the Armed Forces whose service and sacrifice should never be forgotten. We’re so proud that this year, we have our new plastic-free poppy too, so that the public can wear this poignant symbol of Remembrance, with less impact on the environment."
On Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 November First Bus will be offering free return journeys for all UK Armed Forces personnel and veterans, by wearing their military uniform or showing their Service ID card to the driver.
ENDS
Notes to editors
First Bus is one of the UK’s largest bus operators. Making journeys easier for our customers, we were the first national bus operator to accept contactless card payments across all our services and our First Bus App is voted ‘best in class’ amongst UK bus operators.
Our most recent investments are in new, state-of-the-art buses across our key networks. We work proactively with our local authority partners, making a positive impact on air quality, tackling congestion, and improving customer experience.
We are focused on First Bus becoming a leader in the transition to a low-carbon future and are committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035; we have pledged not to purchase any new diesel buses after December 2022. We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland.
First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.
Find more information on First Bus here: First Bus UK News