To support the Royal British Legion (RBL) in this year’s Poppy Appeal, Amazon has been helping transport poppies to London and Manchester ahead of Remembrance Sunday on 12 November. Many members of Amazon’s military community affinity group, Warriors at Amazon, volunteered their time to support with delivery.
Amazon has been an official partner of the RBL since 2020. The partnership includes a dedicated store on Amazon, where customers can purchase the new sustainable poppies and make cash donations. 100% of the profits from the store go directly to the charity.
The partnership is part of Amazon’s wider support of the military community, which includes signing The Armed Forces Covenant almost a decade ago and renewing that commitment in 2021. The Covenant is focused on helping the Armed Forces community access the same support from the Government and commercial services as the general public.
To create new career opportunities for the military community, Amazon also runs an employment programme called the Amazon Military Programme.
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A sustainable approach to wearing poppies for Remembrance Day
This year, the Poppy Appeal is more sustainable than ever, with the RBL’s new plastic-free poppy having a 40% smaller carbon footprint. Free from single-use plastic, you can recycle these products in ordinary paper recycling collections.
Amazon has also helped the RBL reduce the environmental impact of the deliveries of the iconic poppy, delivering products in key locations using specially decorated electric cargo bikes and walkers.
Many members of the military community join Amazon through our military programme, which offers them the opportunity to pursue a wide range of exciting new career paths. Last year more than 350 veterans, reservists, and military spouses joined the company across more than 35 different job roles and levels. These new employees joined more than 2,500 already employed at Amazon since the launch of the programme in 2011.
“A cause that unifies us”
Wesley Turner, who works at the Amazon headquarters in Manchester as a Programme Manager, joined the company in 2019 after a 20-year career in the Royal Air Force.
Earlier this year, Wesley established a Warriors at Amazon group in the Manchester HQ to connect with other military community members and raise awareness of the importance of Remembrance Day on site.
“One of the company’s strengths is the cultural diversity in its UK network. We want the Warriors group to be a home for any of these people, and a cause that unifies us,” he said.
“For two weeks of the year, the RBL and the symbol of the poppy focus the UK’s attention on what people have given in the past so that they can live the lives they do today. It’s important that for those weeks, or even just a moment, we remember what happened in history so we aren’t doomed to repeat it.”
“I’m proud to help the RBL’s partnership with Amazon reach new heights”
Amazon Programme Manager Eloise Cheales has close ties to the military community. Having travelled the world with her husband, who serves in the Royal Engineers, she initially joined Amazon as a Military Recruiter.
After listening to a presentation that inspired her to get involved in Amazon’s partnership with the RBL, Eloise played a key role in making this year’s Poppy Appeal more sustainable.
“I had the idea to use our e-cargo bikes to deliver poppies to key locations across Manchester in a more sustainable way and have been involved in the logistics of making that happen,” she explained. “It has been exciting to see that come to life, and I have learned a lot in the process.”
“The RBL does incredible work for people from the services community, and I’m proud to play a small part in helping the charity’s partnership with Amazon reach new heights this year.”
Where to buy your poppy
To buy poppies and other items in support of this year’s Poppy Appeal, stop by a stand during London or Manchester Poppy Day or visit the RBL Amazon Store.
