Road and rail logistcs specialist Maritime Transport is marking its tenth consecutive year supporting the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal by adorning its entire vehicle fleet with poppies for the duration of November.

In a coordinated effort last week employees at Maritime’s 41 sites volunteered to attach the iconic memorial symbol to the front grille of over 1,000 tractor units, serving as a poignant reminder to motorists nationwide of the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces community.

John Williams, Maritime Transport group executive chairman, said: “This year marks an important milestone in our longstanding partnership with the Royal British Legion, anorganisation that has provided fundamental support to the Armed Forces community since the first PoppyAppeal in 1921.

“It is an honour contributing to their essential work and creating pathways that enableservice leavers to thrive in civilian roles.”

Maritime has a long history of supporting the Royal British Legion and Armed Forces community. The company first began fitting poppies to its tractor units in 2015.

The same year, Maritime launched its Professional Driver Scheme (PDS), offering comprehensive on-the-job training and mentoring to newly-qualified C+E drivers and those with six months or less experience driving C+E vehicles.

The PDS has gained popularity among service leavers and many veterans have successfully graduated since its inception.

A year later, Maritime signed the Armed Forces Covenant, promoting itself as a Forces-friendly organisation and acknowledging the value that military personnel bring to transport and logistics.

Maritime was also honoured with the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Award by the Ministry of Defence in 2016, and again in 2021.

Mandi Cox-Osborne, the Royal British Legion poppy appeal manager for Suffolk, said: “We are immensely grateful to Maritime for their unwavering support over the last ten years.

“Their commitment has been instrumental not only in helping us fund essential services in support of our Armed Forces community, but also in significantly boosting the visibility of the Poppy Appeal across the country through their purchase of vehicle poppies.

“This partnership has enabled us to expand our reach and continue our vital work, making a real difference in the lives of those we serve and long may this continue.”

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