Sunderland AFC are the first English football club to officially welcome the Hero’s Poppy, which honours the people of Sunderland who have fought and served in any conflict.
Last week, the Remembrance Penny presented the bronze poppy, illuminated in a glass display cabinet, to Chief Executive Officer Jim Rodwell.
The Remembrance Penny, ‘Forged with Pride’, is an exquisite set to commemorate and honour our fallen servicemen and women and has seen support from the man who stole the nation’s hearts, Captain [and Honorary Colonel] Tom Moore and Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes.
The Remembrance Penny officially launched on Friday 8 May 2020 to coincide with VE75 celebrations and currently, the collection, handcrafted and made in Britain, consists of the Remembrance Penny, the Bronze Memorial Seedpod and the Bronze Poppy, which holds the collection together by perfectly housing the penny and seedpod - a symbol of our national heritage.
The items can be purchased on www.theremembrancepenny.com to honour any fallen servicemen and women and The Remembrance Penny is incredibly proud to be supporting our charity partner, Combat Stress, the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health.
Jim Rodwell, SAFC’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Earlier this year, the club continued its long-standing support of the Armed Forces by achieving the Silver award of the Ministry of Defence’s Employee Recognition Scheme, so we are delighted to further build on that support by welcoming the Hero’s Poppy to the Stadium of Light. The strong connection between SAFC and the military is evident throughout the club’s history, and the Hero’s Poppy is a fantastic way for our supporters to honour those that have served our country with such courage and dedication.”
Shaun Lavender, a veteran and UK Partnerships Director at the Remembrance Penny, added: “We’re honoured to donate the Hero’s Poppy to Sunderland AFC. On a personal level, I have strong ties with the club and their whole ethos is synonymous with everything that we stand for and we are delighted to move forward in this unique partnership. We hope the poppy will spark many meaningful conversations on the importance of remembrance and raise awareness for Combat Stress, the UK’s leading mental health charity for veterans.”
