Celebrity Jo Brand records special TfL customer announcements to encourage support for London Poppy Day

Transport for London (TfL) continues its decades-long collaboration with The Royal British Legion (RBL) to mark this year’s London Poppy Day, with special announcements from British actress, comedian, presenter and writer Jo Brand.

These announcements will be played across TfL stations on 30 October, to support RBL’s aim of raising more than £1 million from donations for the annual London Poppy Day appeal. Collections will be taking place from 07:00 to 19:00 at stations across the network, with from more than 1,700 volunteers supporting uniformed fundraisers, representing the Tri-Service contingent from across the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force.

As well as Jo Brand’s engaging announcement, eight of London’s iconic buses have been redesigned to feature a special design honouring past and present servicepeople. These buses were on display at Alexandra Palace on 22 October for visitors to see them and will run on TfL’s bus network until 16 November. London’s historic Alexandra Palace once played an instrumental role in the country’s war efforts, serving as a refugee camp during the First World War and later used to disrupt German radio signals during the Second World War.

Specially designed trains on the Elizabeth line, London Underground, London Overground, Trams, and DLR all feature specially designed poppy illustrations. The IFS Cloud Cable Car will also feature commemorative design poppy illustrations.

Elsewhere on the network, select bus stations and London Underground and London Overground platforms will be decorated with poppy roundels, and customers can find them at the following stations:

• Hammersmith, Harrow, Kingston, Turnpike Lane and Vauxhall bus stations
• Victoria Coach Station
• Hackney Downs, Hatch End, Hoxton, Shepherd's Bush and South Tottenham London Overground stations
• Baker Street, Balham, Bethnal Green, Bounds Green, Canary Wharf, King's Cross St Pancras, London Bridge, Tower Hill and Westminster London Underground stations

Seb Dance, London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: "I'm delighted that TfL is again marking London Poppy Day with special announcements and designs to remember and honour all the brave men and women who dedicated their lives to protecting our country. As we continue to build a better London for all, the Mayor and I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our nation's Armed Forces community and their families. We are forever in their debt."

Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: “We are very proud to once again support the Royal British Legion for London Poppy Day, with special announcements from celebrity Jo Brand and the specially designed buses and trains honouring all those servicepeople who have served in our armed forces and those who have given their lives. We appreciate the support from all our partners, and hope that customers will donate what they can and help us in this important fundraising effort."

Emma Dagnes OBE, Alexandra Palace CEO. said: “We’re pleased to be supporting TfL and the Royal British Legion to mark this year’s Poppy Day. It’s an opportunity for us to reflect on the role Ally Pally played during the war years, and remember those who lived through so much. We look forward to seeing the campaign supported throughout the city.”

The London Poppy Appeal is the biggest street collection of its kind in the UK. Involving more than 2,000 Poppy Appeal collectors and Armed Forces personnel from the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, these collection stations are a unique opportunity for the public to interact with service personnel.

As a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, TfL takes pride in supporting the London Poppy Appeal and the veterans who work on the transport network. Their service has given them the critical skills required to effectively carry out their role as bus controllers, drivers, engineers and project managers.

This year, past and present members of the London Transport Old Comrades will march in the Remembrance Sunday Parade honouring the 4,500 transport staff who died in both wars and other conflicts.

London's transport network will join the rest of the UK and fall silent at 11:00 on Armistice Day on 11 November to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Donations can be made using contactless payment methods to the London Poppy Appeal, helping the Royal British Legion provide crucial support to veterans of the armed forces and their dependents. This support includes providing physical and mental health recovery and wellbeing services and financial and employment advice. The Royal British Legion also campaigns for better treatment of serving and ex-serving personnel.