For over 100 years The Poppy Factory in Richmond-upon-Thames has been making poppies, crosses and wreaths for the Royal Family and the Royal British Legion’s annual Remembrance Day appeal.
In recent times though, their mission has expanded to support veterans who have served in the armed forces, and who now suffer with physical or mental health conditions (often both), to find paid and meaningful civilian employment.
While wishing to honour their past, our design brief for the 2024 Annual Report was primarily to communicate all the great work that The Poppy Factory has been doing to help these veterans and their families over the last 12 months, while also fulfilling their regulatory obligations as a UK-registered charity.
The Solution
The first half of the 60-page report is made up by three things: vivid, personal stories on how The Poppy Factory was able to help ex-servicemen and women into the workplace; notable achievements from the year; and powerful stats.The second part of the publication is taken up by mandatory financial information and tables of accounts.
As well as proving employment services, The Poppy Factory is also a place that welcomes visits from the general public. There’s a fantastic new interactive visitor centre where people can learn about its history, enjoy a guided tour and even have a go at making a poppy.
To reflect this popular aspect of the factory, we designed a number of spreads showing notable visitors; these include inspirational veterans, The Mayor of London and West Ham United footballers, past and present.
Positive outcomes
The Annual Report and Accounts was launched in December 2024 and has been extremely well received by stakeholders and supporters alike. Beyond its core purpose, the fresh new design approach is set to guide and inform the Poppy Factory’s visual communications in 2025.
The Poppy Factory is going from strength to strength and last year it supported over 1,100 veterans and their families. We are very proud to have helped to bring their story to life.
“We are delighted with the fresh look and feel that The Cutting Edge has brought to our 2023-24 Annual Report and Accounts, following a process that felt effortless but involved a lot of thoughtful design work. Feedback from our supporters has been extremely positive. We feel this report is our best ever, and the bold yet simple design has set the tone for a refreshed approach to the creation of wider content in the year ahead.”
Dan Hodges, Head of Communications, The Poppy factory
ClientThe Poppy FactoryServicesAnnual Report and Accounts
