trentbarton will show its support for the men and women who have served their country with 185 of its buses and coaches proudly wearing a poppy in the run up to Remembrance Day.
To mark trentbarton’s donation of £800 to The Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal, a bus and driver met members of the Legion’s Ilkeston branch at Ilkeston Market Place.
trentbarton driver Jon Hickman represented trentbarton – Jon served in the Army from 1988 to 1993 as an infantryman, including tours of duty in Northern Ireland, the Falklands and Cyprus.
Jon, who joined trentbarton six years ago, said: “I wear a poppy every day – I have two poppy tattoos. Having a poppy on the bus means a lot to me. Remembrance Day is a sombre day but I also remember the good times I had in the Army.
Jon, who lives in Beeston and drives the skylink route, added: “Quite a few of our drivers have served, and not just in the Army but in the Navy and the RAF too. I’m proud that trentbarton supports the Legion by backing the Poppy Appeal.”
The poppies – a symbol of remembrance for more than 90 years – will be given pride of place on the front of buses on several routes from November 1:
red arrow / the mickleover / the villager / spondon flyer / the allestree / H1 / skylink Nottingham / indigo / i4 / mainline / ilkeston flyer / rainbow one / the two / the threes / the sixes / the nines / calverton connection
Brian Brown, a local community support officer for the Royal British Legion, said “The Royal British Legion is asking the nation to Rethink Remembrance by recognising the sacrifices made by the Armed Forces community, past and present.
“By wearing a poppy, you aren’t just remembering the fallen: you’re supporting a new generation of veterans and service personnel that need our support. We’re pleased that a local company, like trentbarton, which has a presence in a lot of our communities, is backing the Poppy Appeal and helping to raise awareness.”
Jordan Kemp, marketing and communications manager at trentbarton, said: “The Poppy Appeal plays a key role helping people and organisations to remember the sacrifices made by members of the British armed forces, past and present.
“The Appeal also raises substantial sums of money which The Royal British Legion puts to excellent use for members of the Armed Forces community.
“Our drivers and buses are key parts of local communities across the East Midlands, many of our team members are ex-service personnel, so trentbarton is pleased to show our support and remembrance.”