Annual Poppy Appeal is launched across the UK

War veterans David John Dade (Left) and Ken Sprowles at the launch of the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal in central London (photo: Getty Images)

Each year the Poppy appeal is launched to pay tribute to those who have served and sacrificed during Remembrance. In 2022 the Poppy Appeal campaign will see collectors distributing poppies across the United Kingdom once again.

This year the appeal will focus on how your poppy shows you care and helps the RBL continue its vital work supporting the Armed Forces community.

The Royal British Legion (RBL) has launched its national Poppy Appeal in London with a huge red wall that tells the stories of the charities beneficiaries.

Concurrently the Scottish Poppy Appeal – Poppy Scotland – was launched with its own distinctive poppy design.

A person holds a poppy as they look at a wall made of 10,000 remembrance poppies following the RBL's Poppy Appeal 2022 (photo: Getty Images)

In London a six-metre wide wall of poppies was created for the launch of the poppy appeal.

As each one is purchased, their removal will reveal the stories of RBL beneficiaries.

Key dates across the country for the Poppy Appeal include:

Leeds Poppy Day: Tuesday, November 1

Stagecoach unveils its Armed Forces Covenant Bus

London Poppy Day: Thursday, November 3

Gatwick City Poppy Day: Friday, November 4

Bristol City Poppy Day: Saturday, November 5

Manchester City Poppy Day: Saturday, November 5

Birmingham Poppy Day: Tuesday, November 8

Two-minute silence: Friday, November 11

Festival of Remembrance: Saturday, November 12

Remembrance Sunday: Sunday, November 13

Since the Poppy Appeal was first launched in 1921 it has raised hundreds of millions of pounds for serving military personnel and former military personnel and their families.

The Scottish design of poppy has four petals compared to the design used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which has two petals and a leaf.

It was designed in 1926 by Lady Haigh, the wife of Earl Haig, who had been Commander of the British Forces in the First World War.

It was in response to the fact that in the early 1920s the first poppy factory was based in Richmond in Surrey and not many poppies made it to Scotland due to the high demand for them.

As part of this year’s Remembrance celebrations coach firm Stagecoach extends UK-wide free travel for veterans and military personnel to include cadets on Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.

The commitment to free travel, which is now in its second year, comes on the back of the launch of Stagecoach’s employee led Veteran’s Network.

The network was launched last year to allow Stagecoach colleagues to come together as one voice to make change and to raise awareness among other aims.

In addition to free travel on November 11 and 13, Stagecoach will be operating a number of Poppy Buses across its network.