Members of the AvePoint EMEA team based in our London office recently took the opportunity to lend a helping hand to the Poppy Appeal. Started around Remembrance Day but now a year-round effort, the Poppy Appeal supports the British Armed Forces past and present along with their families through the sale of festive, colourful poppy pins. The significance of the poppy comes from World War I, when there was widespread devastation throughout France and Belgium. In the aftermath of the destruction, poppy fields began to flower, bringing colour and a sense of hope to the troops. Today, poppies are a symbol of patriotism across the United Kingdom.
We chose to volunteer with the Poppy Appeal because it helps provide welfare services for the Armed Forces community in the UK. It is also particularly poignant this year as 2014 marks the 100 year anniversary of the start of WWI. Across the UK, companies and individuals are planning their own unique ways of paying respect on Remembrance Day, which takes place November 11.
Our team was responsible for assembling, packing, and delivering (on foot!) the poppy boxes to local businesses and schools that signed up to sell the pins. This was a great way to interact directly with our community and explore different parts of our city.
We had a brilliant morning! The veterans that are in charge of running the Poppy Appeal in the Hammersmith district of London where we helped told us they have experienced a real lack of volunteers recently, so we were happy to step in and do our part. We not only assembled the poppy boxes by hand, but also had the opportunity for a great chat with the veterans to learn all about their experiences.
We were thrilled to be a part of this important effort – so much so, in fact, that we have already signed up to volunteer again next year! To learn more about the Poppy Appeal and contribute, please visit The Royal British Legion website.
