Royal British Legion fundraises on Poppy Day

The Royal British Legion (RBL) has launched a city-wide fundraising effort for London Poppy Day 2026.

Thursday is the 20th anniversary of the charity's annual fundraising event in the capital for the armed forces community, and includes performances from military bands and choirs at more than 20 stations including Waterloo, Liverpool Street, Euston and London Bridge.

In 2025, the event raised almost £1.5m for the RBL.

Lucy Inskip, the director of the Poppy Appeal, said she hoped people would "get involved, and enjoythe various military bands and choirs performing across major stations across London - and give what they can".

EastEnders actor Ross Kemp joined the fundraising effort aboard a Thames Clippers service on the River Thames - a first for the event.

The 62-year-old, who appeared in the latest series of The Celebrity Traitors, said: "I'll always be 100% faithful to the faithfuls and 100% faithful to the Royal British Legion.

"Twenty years of fundraising in the capital is a fantastic milestone, and it's always a pleasure to see so many people coming together to support the armed forces community."

Donations from London Poppy Day and the Poppy Appeal are used to support serving personnel, veterans and their families.

The campaign encourages the public to wear a poppy to recognise those who have served in the armed forces.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was "delighted" to support the event.

"This is the biggest one-day city collection of its kind in Europe, and I'd like to thank all the Armed Forces personnel and Poppy Appeal collectors who will be out fundraising across the city," he said.

Approximately 2,500 armed forces personnel and volunteers will collect donations at stations, transport hubs and other locations across the capital on Thursday.

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