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# Ipswich Mayor to launch annual Poppy Appeal this Saturday
- URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/ipswich-mayor-to-launch-annual-poppy-appeal-this-saturday/
- Published: 2024-10-25T07:18:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-16T15:32:10.000Z
- Description: The Royal British Legion's annual Poppy Appeal kicks off in Ipswich this Saturday, 26 October, with a special launch event outside the Town Hall.
- Author: Oliver Rouane-Williams
- Tags: News, Events & Things To Do, #article, Elango Elavalakan, #Import 2026-03-16 14:46

**Why it matters:** The Poppy Appeal raises crucial funds to support serving and ex-serving personnel and their families, ensuring they can access the help they need.

**The big picture:** The Poppy Appeal launch marks the start of Ipswich's Remembrance period, which includes:

- Remembrance Sunday service on 10 November at the Cenotaph in Christchurch Park.
- Armistice Day commemorations on 11 November at the Fields of Honour in the Old Cemetery and the Cenotaph.

![A big red poppy in the grass ready for the Remembrance Service at Christchurch Park in 2020](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/2026/03/1729840393-red-poppy-christchurch-park-2020-1.jpg)

A big red poppy in the grass ready for the Remembrance Service at Christchurch Park in 2020 (Alamy)

**Key details:** The Mayor will officially start the local campaign, encouraging residents to support the cause, and volunteers will begin distributing poppies for donations across Ipswich.

- Launch date: Saturday, 26 October
- Location: Outside Ipswich Town Hall
- Host: Mayor of Ipswich, Councillor Elango Elavalakan

**How to get involved:**

- Buy and wear a poppy to show your support
- Donate online at [www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/poppy-appeal](http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/poppy-appeal?ref=ipswich.co.uk)
- Volunteer to help with poppy distribution (contact local Royal British Legion branch)

**What they're saying:** Mayor Elango Elavalakan said, "We hope Ipswich residents will join us by attending Remembrance Day events, supporting the Poppy Appeal, and observing the two-minute silence."

**Why poppies?:** The red poppy became a symbol of remembrance after the poem "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae, which described poppies growing on battlefields during World War I. Wearing a poppy is a personal choice. If you choose to wear one, it's typically displayed on the left lapel from late October until Remembrance Sunday.

**The bottom line:** The Poppy Appeal offers people a way to support those who have served and continue to serve in the armed forces while honouring the memory of the fallen.

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