Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory, an Edinburgh institution that each year produces five million poppies and thousands of wreaths for the annual Scottish Poppy Appeal, is to undergo a major upgrade programme that will ensure it is fit for purpose for the years ahead…
Work at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory, located close to the centre of Edinburgh, got underway last week, with the staff having recently made the move to a new temporary home at Redford Barracks on the outskirts of the city. It is expected that the upgraded project will take two years to complete, with staff and machinery scheduled to return to the existing site in Canonmills some time in 2021.
Mark Bibbey, Chief Executive at Poppyscotland, said: ““The redevelopment is much needed and will ensure the long term viability of the Factory and particularly, of course, the supported employment opportunities it provides for disabled veterans. Throughout the works period, there will be minimal impact to the production of poppies and wreaths.
“This will continue just as it has for the past 93 years, with a team of 34 veterans with disabilities hand producing more than five million poppies and 15,000 wreaths annually. Our temporary home at Redford is fully operational now that we’ve completed the quite a mammoth logistical challenge of moving our machinery, some of which is over 100 years old.”
