On Remembrance Day yesterday, members of NAAFI, including our CEO Steve Marshall, were honoured to have attended the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in London. They laid a wreath of poppies at the foot of the Cenotaph, remembering all those from Britain and the Commonwealth who sacrificed their lives to protect others and NAAFI colleagues who died during service.

Steve Marshall said: “Each Remembrance Day we pay tribute to Forces personnel who valiantly lost their lives defending our nation, our lives and our freedom. NAAFI has been serving Forces communities around the world for over 100 years and in our centenary year, we reflected particularly on the 552 lives lost whilst working for NAAFI in service to our Armed Forces.”

As part of the commemorations, NAAFI also attended the Festival of Remembrance at the iconic Royal Albert Hall. Hosted by the Royal British Legion and attended by the Royal Family, the event marked 100 years since Britain’s collective national Remembrance traditions came together for the first time.

Mary Pittuck, NAAFI said: “We were deeply honoured to attend this event, particularly in our centenary year. The event is very moving, and being with the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice is incredibly humbling. Events like this always remind me of how important our work is in making life a little easier for those who need us the most, often in some of the most austere and hostile environments, either through our physical presence or the work of the NAAFI Fund. It also provides me with immense pride in our teams that have, and continue to deliver that service. At this time of year, I also remember those employees that, sadly, never came home”.