Medequip depots in Suffolk and the South West go poppy mad for Royal British Legion appeal
It was all about the poppies this year for community equipment supplier Medequip with its depots in Suffolk and the South West banding together to support the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal.
It was the Legion’s largest fundraising event, generating money to support British Armed Forces and their families, helping servicemen and women whose lives have been altered forever by wars and conflict.
The Poppy Appeal first began back in 1921 when the Royal British Legion ordered a million poppies from Anna Guérin – originator of the concept and known as ‘The Poppy Lady’ – to be made in France, as well as commissioning eight million more manufactured in UK. That first Appeal raised just over £100,000. In 2022, the annual Poppy Appeal raised £124.5 million.
Working closely with Poppy Appeal Coordinators in Suffolk and the South West, Medequip teams assisted with logistics and distribution of poppy-related materials.
The company’s fleet of vans were busy delivering poppies and poppy collection boxes to locations as diverse as supermarkets, garages and sporting venues. As an example, Cefndy-Medequip vans in Newport delivered collection boxes to every school in the Cardiff area.
Medequip depots also seconded scores of people to staff collection points in supermarkets across the two regions, including Morrisons and Aldi.
Account Manager Andrea Clifton, who has championed expansion of Medequip’s involvement with the poppy appeal, was amazed and delighted by people’s generosity.
“In just three hours in Morrisons, we collected almost £700 – £480 on the card machine and £200 in cash,” she stated. “People have been more than generous – and now they can donate just by tapping a card it’s even easier!”
Andrea began working in Suffolk with the Poppy Appeal Coordinator last year, involving Medequip personnel to help out locally with logistics and collections.
This year, working hand in hand with all the resources from Medequip’s South West depots, the team achieved a step change in how much they can contribute.
All the Medequip vans sported giant poppies, and many of the depots created signage in support of the Appeal, as well as having collection boxes for staff and visitors.
Michaela Harris, General Manager for Medequip in the South West and Suffolk, commented: “I’m really pleased to be able to get all our depots working together on this, getting stock of poppies and collection boxes out there and manning poppy sales points to generate even more donations.
“I’m also extremely proud of our work on the Appeal, especially as Medequip counts amongst our valued employees a number of military veterans and people with family serving in the Forces. Continuing the work, we helped with collecting the boxes in again once the Appeal had finished.”
Clare Peppiatt, Regional Poppy Appeal Manager South West, commented: “The help given to us from Medequip for Bristol, Wiltshire and Taunton has been phenomenal. Medequip staff have manned supermarkets, delivered over 50 boxes to corporate companies and a last minute ask to supply 19 school boxes so we didn’t lose that support.”
Lily Amphlett, Poppy Appeal Manager, Cardiff and Gwent, added: “Medequip’s invaluable contribution to this year’s Poppy Appeal in Cardiff and Gwent has been a game-changer.
“The Medequip staff manned stands we previously weren’t able to cover and played a crucial role in collecting vital donations, in particular Morrisons’ Newport where just over £5k was raised.
“Additionally, Medequip went above and beyond by delivering poppy boxes and collection pots to local schools. A task we didn’t think we were able to fulfil this year due to a shortage of volunteers in the area.”
Mandi Cox-Osbourne, Poppy Appeal Manager Suffolk, stated: “Thank you to Medequip and their staff for their amazing support, for the second year running to the Suffolk Poppy Appeal 2023; from delivering pots and boxes to communities, to stepping into the breach, and covering Morrisons weekday collections, where potentially we could have lost vital donations.”
Medequip, which provides the Essex Integrated Community Equipment Loan Service (ICELS), recently announced the grand opening of its Braintree Service Centre in Essex.
