More than 1,134 Marston’s pubs will take part in the Raise a Glass campaign this November, including 273 pubs in the West Midlands, helping to raise funds and awareness for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal
A specially created 3D-printed poppy will also tour pubs across the country as part of a new nationwide ‘Pass the Poppy’ initiative
For the third year running, Marston’s and the Royal British Legion (RBL) are joining forces to support the annual Poppy Appeal with the return of Raise a Glass, a nationwide fundraising campaign taking place across 1,134 Marston’s pubs, including 273 in the West Midlands.
At the heart of this year’s campaign is a new collection of limited-edition commemorative glasses featuring exclusive artwork created by Army veteran and award-winning artist Jane Wilkes.
Available in pint (£3.50) and half-pint (£3.00) sizes, the glasses showcase Jane’s striking interpretation of the poppy, alongside the words “We Will Remember Them”. For every glass sold, Marston’s will donate £1.26 from each pint glass and £0.85 from each half-pint glass to the Royal British Legion.
The campaign follows last year’s successful partnership, which raised more than £128,000 for the charity, and aims to generate even greater support for members of the Armed Forces community and their families.
Jane, 50, from Shrewsbury, served for fifteen years in the Army’s Adjutant General’s Corps, completing operational tours in Macedonia, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. During her final deployment, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer and flown home for treatment.
As she recovered, Jane found support through the Royal British Legion’s Battle Back Recovery Centre before taking part in the charity’s Recovery Through the Arts programme. The experience helped her rediscover her confidence and creativity, and she has since gone on to become an award-winning artist.
Jane Wilkes, said: “It is a true honour to have designed Marston’s and the Royal British Legion’s commemorative glasses for this year’s Poppy Appeal and to play a part in raising essential funds and awareness.”
“The Royal British Legion supported me during one of the most difficult periods of my life, helping me rebuild my confidence and discover what I was still capable of after my treatment. Seeing my artwork brought to life on these glasses was incredibly special, and I hope people across the country will join me in raising a glass this November in support of veterans and the Armed Forces community.”
Alongside the commemorative glassware, Marston’s is introducing Pass the Poppy, a new initiative that will see a 3D-printed poppy travel the length and breadth of the country between 23 October and 11 November, visiting Marston’s pubs and helping to raise awareness of the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal.
As the poppy travels from community to community, Marston’s hopes to encourage people to pause, reflect and remember the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces, while supporting a cause that continues to make a real difference to veterans and their families.
Jen Monaghan, Senior Campaign & Partnerships Manager at Marston’s, said: “Over the last two years, we’ve been incredibly proud of the support shown by our guests, pub teams and local communities for Raise a Glass.”
“This year’s glasses carry a powerful and deeply personal design from Jane, whose story perfectly demonstrates the life-changing impact of the Royal British Legion’s work.”
“With the introduction of Pass the Poppy, we’re creating even more opportunities for communities to come together, show their support and remember those who have served. We hope people will visit their local participating pub, raise a glass and help us make this year’s campaign our most successful yet.”
The limited-edition glasses will be available in participating Marston’s pubs from 23rd October until 11th November.
For more information and to find your nearest participating pub, visit marstonspubs.co.uk/raise-a-glass