POPPIES will shine across Yorkshire from one of the cooling towers at Drax Power Station as part of a poignant display to mark Remembrance Sunday.
The projection at the UK’s largest single site renewable power generator should be visible from miles around to commemorate those involved in the two world wars and other conflicts.
Bruce Heppenstall, Plant Director at Drax, said: “Drax has a proud history of supporting the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. By projecting the symbol of remembrance on to one of our cooling towers we are aiming to show armed forces personnel throughout the generations the gratitude we feel for the sacrifices they’ve made.
“Covid restrictions mean it’s going to be difficult for people to come together safely at remembrance services and for charities to fundraise in the usual way this year. By Drax marking the occasion with this projection, we hope local communities will still be able to pay their respects and support the Royal British Legion, which provides lifelong support to our armed forces community.”
Drax, near Selby in North Yorkshire, will use an outdoor projection unit, to project the image onto one of the power station’s 114m tall cooling towers from 6pm to 10pm on Remembrance Sunday, November 8 and Armistice Day, Wednesday November 11.
Alex Wood, Warehouse Manager at Drax is an ex-Army Staff Sergeant, who organises the annual Poppy Appeal at the power station. He said: “I’m proud to work for an organisation that supports the Royal British Legion. There are at least 20 ex-armed forces personnel working at Drax, as well as several Army Reserves. The help the Legion provides for veterans like me is fantastic, with many of us relying on this support to help transition to civilian lives.”
As well as the projection, Drax is also donating £1,000 to the Poppy Appeal and will be laying wreaths at war memorials local to its operations across the UK.
Drax has the capacity to generate enough renewable electricity for four million households, and has measures in place to keep its employees safe during the Covid-19 pandemic, ensuring they can continue to safely operate the power station, which is critical national infrastructure, generating the power millions of homes and businesses rely on.
