Stagecoach West has unveiled a new, poppy-themed Oxford Tube coach ahead of Remembrance Day. The coach forms part of Stagecoach’s nationwide campaign to raise awareness and money for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy appeal. The new coach will become part of the permanent Oxford Tube fleet, transporting passengers between Oxford and London.
Stagecoach Chief Operating Officer, Sam Greer, said: “Remembrance Day and the Poppy Appeal are causes close to the hearts of many of our employees and customers and we are very pleased to be making this commitment that will hopefully help people to attend memorials across the UK.”
Stagecoach’s efforts have been supported by the Veterans Network; an organization committed to allowing veterans working within Stagecoach to advocate for positive change. Since 2015, Stagecoach has offered free transport to members of the armed forces, past and present, on Remembrance Day and Armed Forces Day in support of Britain’s armed forces community. Stagecoach West’s managing director Rachel Geliamassi said, “Many of our employees have served or have friends or family members with a connection to the armed forces, so it’s really important we show our support.”
As a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, Stagecoach has been keen to recognise the work and sacrifice of servicemen and women publicly. Sam Berkson, National Account Manager for Defence Relationship Management has thanked Stagecoach for their support, “It is clear that Stagecoach recognises the benefits of being a Forces-friendly employer and I look forward to their continued support for Defence and advocacy for its people.”
Stagecoach recently earned the silver award as part of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme in honour of the company’s work done with veterans and the wider armed forces community. Such work has included the recruitment of those leaving the forces and continued support given to employees serving as reservists or volunteering as Cadet leaders. As a result, Stagecoach has been marked out as one of the top 100 employers of veterans.
