Why Do We Wear Poppies in November?

This November the 11th, many will be proudly sporting a poppy, pinned to their shirt, to show respect for those that died during the first world war.

A poppy is the most memorable symbol of World War I and is heavily linked with Armistice Day, where the guns on the western front fell silent – a MAJOR step towards the beginning of the end of over 4 years of fighting. 

As a nation, we have been honouring the dead with poppies for just over 100 years. The money raised through poppy sales gives financial and emotional aid to current members, veterans and the families of our armed forces.

At RBM (&ROK) we are proud supporters of the SSAFA (The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association), which is a dedicated charity for armed forces, giving lifelong support to those in need.

Of course, we will all be wearing our poppies in the coming weeks and heading down to the memorial in Southsea for a minute’s silence on Friday morning, but we all feel that the forces are something that should be supported ALL YEAR ROUND!

Just like October was both Black History Month and Breast Cancer Awareness month, these are subjects which should be talked about from January to December every year.

If you want to support the armed forces, then there are plenty of charities out there doing great things for those that serve our country. If you don’t want to donate, then maybe consider joining one of their events and raising some money on their behalf?

A poppy is a great start, but we could all do a little more to show the respect these men and women deserve.