Derby buses sport poppies to support Legion

Poppy stickers have appeared on 300 buses and coaches during this year’s remembrance period ahead of Remembrance Sunday on November 9.

trentbarton is donating £500 to the Ilkeston branch of The Royal British Legion, where the chairman is trentbarton bus driver Kurt Fletcher.

Kurt, who served in the Army for more than eight years, said: “The public support trentbarton shows the Poppy Appeal each year is really important as it means the Legion can support more veterans. Each year I enjoy seeing the poppies on the buses and ‘Lest we forget’ on the bus displays.”

Kurt, who lives in Newthorpe, retrained as a plumber after leaving the Army and then had a go at driving a bus at a trentbarton Try Drive event two years ago. He has driven on the mainline and the cotgrave routes but now pilots the skylink express out of Nottingham.

This is the 11th year he has organised the Ilkeston branch’s Poppy Appeal, which collects in the region of £40,000 across the two week campaign. Kurt said: “The money donated during the appeal is vital to the Legion’s support of the many veterans who are struggling. Every donation, large and small, helps.”

To mark trentbarton’s support for the 2025 appeal Kurt met up with Marion Brown, the widow of trentbarton’s longtime friend at the Ilkeston branch Brian Brown who sadly passed away earlier this year.

On both Remembrance Day (November 11) and Remembrance Sunday there is free travel on all trentbarton services for veterans and current members of the armed forces, who should show their warrant cards, and for cadets in uniform.

Tom Morgan, trentbarton managing director, said: “We are proud to once again support the much needed work of the Royal British Legion. The poppies on our buses are a visible sign of our thanks to everyone who currently serves or has served. We thank them and salute their service to our country.”