Veteran fundraisers Denis and Barbara Scaife have embarked on their biggest poppy selling marathon to date across England and Scotland, travelling around 1,000 miles to raise money for the Royal British Legion onboard Lumo and Hull Trains services.
The pair, both in their seventies, started their challenge in Hull this morning (28 October), with a special fanfare performed by The East Riding of Yorkshire Band, before travelling to London. They then boarded a Lumo service to Stirling and will travel to Edinburgh and London tomorrow, before completing their challenge in Retford.
Denis, a former Non-Commissioned Officer (Sapper) with the Corps of Royal Engineers, launched the Poppy Express 11 years ago alongside his wife Barbara. What began as a small fundraising effort involving the pair has grown into a respected annual tradition, with volunteers travelling the East Coast Main Line each autumn to support the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.
Despite facing significant health challenges this year, Denis remains determined to continue fundraising for causes close to his heart. He also lives with PTSD and is open about sharing his experiences to help raise awareness of mental health issues among veterans and the wider community.
Speaking about his challenge so far, Denis said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Lumo and Hull Trains for their support with the Poppy Express over the years and couldn’t wait to get our latest challenge underway. It’s always a privilege to sell poppies to their friendly and generous customers.
“This year’s challenge is particularly special as we take the Poppy Express to the West Coast Main Line for the first time. We already raised over £1,000 on our first Hull Trains journey this morning, so we’re very hopeful that we’ll have raised an impressive amount for a great cause when we finish tomorrow.
Richard Salkeld, Director of Communications & Partnerships at Lumo and Hull Trains, said: “Denis and Barbara are inspirational and it’s a real honour to be part of their story. Their dedication to the Poppy Express is something to be admired and I’m confident that their latest challenge will be a real success.
“We launched our brand new West Coast service earlier this year, giving us a great opportunity to bring the Poppy Express to even more communities across England and Scotland. All our teams would like to wish them both the best of luck as they travel with us over the coming days.”
Both open access operators are proud supporters of their local communities, as well as the Armed Forces. Last year, both joined other rail companies in offering free travel to veterans across the country as part of national remembrance efforts. Their backing of the ‘Poppy Express’ continues that commitment to honouring service and sacrifice.
Check out a video of their challenge so far here.