Volunteers in Beverley have been fundraising for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
This year’s Poppy Appeal, which raises money for the largest Armed Forces charity in the country, started on 23rd October. Ruby Seager, who served in the British Army for six years, and Liz Kitchen, who was in the Women’s Royal Army Corps, were selling poppies in Tesco on the first day of the appeal.
The sale of poppies helps members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, Reservists, veterans and their families. The Royal British Legion provides lifelong support for serving and ex-serving personnel and their families.
Last year, between October 2024 and March 2025, the district raised over £41,000 and the national total for 2024 was £51.2 million.
Ruby Seager, 77, from Leven, served in the British Army in the Royal Military Police in Northern Ireland and in what was the Cold War in Germany and Berlin.
She has been fundraising with the British Legion since 2009 and is third-generation military. “It is great to talk to people and find out their association with things that have happened in the past,” she said. “I will stand for three hours at a time without any problem because my grandfather stood days on end at the Somme in the September of 1916.”
Her grandfather was an infantry soldier in World War One and her father was a dispatch rider in the Second World War. “He went, no mobile phones, it was a case of come here, take that to the petrol dumps and we want petrol supply 10 miles down the road for the advancing line,” Ruby added. “So he was part of the services that support the frontline troops and tanks, a scary job.”
Ruby joined the military due to her family. “It was a good choice, and my family had been in the military mainly because they had to — my dad had to join up,” she said. “My mother went to join up as well, so it was a natural progression, being an only child.” Ruby has five three-hour sessions selling poppies and she is also the secretary for the Hornsea Music Society, which provides classical and light classical music for the people of Hornsea and the surrounding areas.
“It brings out memories in other people. One year when I was selling poppies a woman said, ‘Ah, I never thought about this before,’ but her aunt was one of the first nurses into the liberation of Belsen in Germany,” she said. “And I visited Belsen when I was in the army back in the sixties. The Royal British Legion is forever on call to help families, serving and past-serving veterans all the time. The money is needed more than ever.”
The Royal British Legion supports people with physical and mental wellbeing, financial and employment support, care and independent living, local community connections and expert guidance. Liz Kitchen, 71, from Scotland, has lived in East Yorkshire for 10 years and she was in the WRAC for a year. “I only did it for a year and then I got married because at the time, way back in 1971, we couldn’t stay in after you got pregnant, and then I became an army wife for 22 years,” she said. She volunteers for the Royal British Legion and this is her third year selling poppies. “I enjoy doing this, helping people, talking to people and supporting everybody,” she said.
She also runs the Armed Forces Breakfast Club in Beverley, which she has done since 2018. “It’s all veterans or servicemen if they want to attend,” said Liz. “It’s all to do with friendship — they like to have a chit chat, they like to have their breakfast, so just basically getting together.” She started off as a breakfast club member, then took on an admin role before becoming the chair. “We have about 365 members and about 45 to 60 people turn up each Saturday,” she said.
The first day of the Poppy Appeal was successful, according to Liz. “It’s been a good day today, I was supposed to finish at 12 but I decided to stay on for a little bit extra,” she said. As well as the stall in Tesco, volunteers from the Royal British Legion will also be selling poppies on Saturday Market on Saturday 8th November.
A timetable for Remembrance events in Beverley has been confirmed:
Remembrance Sunday (Sunday 9th November) — 10am Parade members assemble in School Lane car park; 10:15am Parade forms; 10:30am Parade steps off through Beverley towards Beverley Minster; 10:50am Service of Remembrance commences; 11:50am Service concludes and parade members reform and march through Beverley to the memorial gardens on Hengate; 12:30pm Short service including the laying of wreaths at the memorial gardens; 1pm Service concludes and parade reforms before marching to School Lane car park. Refreshments will be available after the service at St Mary’s Parish Hall.
Remembrance Day (Tuesday 11th November) — 11am A short service, including a two-minute silence at the memorial gardens on Hengate. Those wishing to attend are asked to arrive at 10:50am.
