London Poppy Day returns tomorrow, Thursday, October 29, and commuters across the capital will find collectors at stations, supermarkets and high streets as the Royal British Legion’s annual appeal gathers pace.
More than 1,000 serving Armed Forces personnel, alongside more than 2,000 veterans, volunteers and supporters, will be collecting donations across the city. Collectors are expected at around 70 mainline railway and Underground stations, giving commuters the chance to donate and pick up a poppy on their journeys during the morning and evening rush hours.
The event is one of the charity’s major annual fundraising activities, and it lands at the point in the year when poppies are already a familiar sight across London. The Royal British Legion has confirmed that poppies have been available since October 22, although availability at individual branches and stations may vary.
Where to pick one up
Londoners can already pick up Remembrance poppies at supermarkets, railway stations and shops across the capital. Major supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons are stocking poppies, as are various train and Tube stations. Local businesses and high street shops will also have poppy collection boxes, and Poppy Appeal volunteers will be collecting donations at these locations, particularly during London Poppy Day itself.
That spread matters because London Poppy Day is built around the commute. With collectors posted at around 70 stations during rush hour, the appeal meets people where they already are, rather than asking them to make a special trip. For anyone passing through a mainline terminus or a busy Underground station tomorrow morning or evening, a poppy and a collection tin are likely to be hard to miss.
Anyone struggling to find a local poppy collection point can contact the Royal British Legion for further information. The charity has fundraising representatives covering different parts of London, including north, south, east, west and central London, and its Greater London contact details are available on the Royal British Legion London contacts page.
How much to give, and buying online
There is no fixed donation required for a traditional Remembrance poppy. The Royal British Legion encourages people to contribute whatever they can afford, and donations can be made using cash or contactless payment where facilities are available. So there is no set price to worry about at a station collection point: whatever you can give is welcomed.
For those who prefer to buy online, or who want something more permanent, poppies and other Remembrance merchandise can be ordered through the official Royal British Legion Poppy Shop. The 2026 range includes a dated poppy lapel pin priced at £5, an enamel poppy pin with a crystal centre for £10, and a plastic-free paper poppy available online for £2. The website also sells traditional paper poppies alongside reusable pins, badges, jewellery and other Remembrance products.
All profits from the official Poppy Shop go to the Royal British Legion, and the charity has stated that all profits from purchases through its official shop help fund its work supporting the Armed Forces community. So whether you pick one up from a collector at a station tomorrow or order one online, the money goes to the same cause.
With London Poppy Day falling tomorrow, the simplest option for most Londoners is to keep an eye out at their station during the commute. And if you miss the collectors, poppies remain available at supermarkets, shops and online while the appeal continues. For more seasonal dates across the capital, see our guide to London’s Christmas lights switch-on dates, and for a community Christmas initiative, read about Sutton’s free Christmas Day dinner.
Image: A Remembrance poppy (library photo, Wikimedia Commons).
