A new fundraising record has been set for the ‘Poppy Express’.

Denis Scaife, in partnership with Lumo and Hull Trains, has raised £25,000 for The Royal British Legion, £10,000 more than in 2024.

The fundraising project was started 10 years ago with his wife. The project has now made him a familiar face on the East Coast Main Line and now has 15 volunteers who travel on services to raise money.

Denis and his Wife, Barbara, fundraised starting from October, completing a selling marathon that took them from Retford to London Kings Cross, then to Newcastle and Edinburgh, and back again.

They attended a Scottish Poppy Appeal Reception in Edinburgh and even got the attention of a content creator who started an online campaign for them, raising an additional £6,000.

“Wow. I’m blown away by our final total for the Poppy Express this year and genuinely can’t believe we’ve raised so much money. The generosity of customers never fails to amaze us, with people kindly donating whatever they can as they travel.

“We marked our tenth anniversary this year with a very special poppy selling marathon with our friends at Lumo and Hull Trains. I’d like to thank all the rail operators’ who kindly welcome us on board every year, along with their customers who always show real kindness and support for us. Of course, we couldn’t do any of this without our amazing team of volunteers, many of whom are veterans themselves. This money will go to incredibly important causes.”

Denis, a former Non-Commissioned Officer (sapper) with the Corps of Royal Engineers