Ren Kapur MBE, CEO of X-Forces Enterprise and Soldiering On Awards, has shared her thoughts on Remembrance…
Every year, Remembrance holds a special place in our hearts. It is more than a date in the calendar or a set of formalities; it is a collective pause, a moment when we acknowledge the people whose courage and sacrifice have shaped the freedoms we enjoy today.
Some of us feel that connection very directly; we have served, are serving, or have family and friends who wear the uniform. Others may not see an obvious personal link to the Armed Forces. And yet, we are all indirectly connected. We live in the safety, stability and opportunities that others helped to secure, often at great personal cost.
Remembrance, to me, is about those visible and invisible threads. This year, that meaning has been brought home in a series of moments I will never forget.
At Downing Street, surrounded by many of our partners and friends, we heard an address from the Prime Minister that was humbling in its recognition of service and sacrifice. Yet the most profound moment for me was not on the podium, but on the floor of the room.
Standing in the presence of Dorothea Barron, a veteran of the Second World War, was deeply moving. Watching a beautiful, quiet exchange between her and Anna Wright captured everything I feel about Remembrance: respect across generations, gratitude that cannot be fully put into words, and a shared understanding that what was given can never be taken for granted. That single moment seemed to hold the mood of the day.
Soon after, at the Festival of Remembrance with the Royal British Legion, the emotion was just as powerful. The music, the stories, and the silence all carried the weight of history and the reality of lives touched by conflict. Being there with Daniel Elser, Tom Ballard, and guests including Georgina Park and Julie McCarthy from SSAFA with her husband Lee, Emma Thomson from the Ministry of Defence, and Martin Wing, reminded me how many people, organisations and communities quietly carry this duty of care throughout the year.
Being with London Stock Exchange Group today, alongside James Eaton, Simon Martin, Daniel McGuire and their guests for Remembrance was a real honour. To march shoulder to shoulder with them, pausing together to reflect upon those who served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice was deeply humbling and extraordinarily moving. Moments like these remind us why Remembrance must always be lived, not merely observed: through unity, through gratitude, and our ongoing, unwavering commitment to those who wear, and have worn, the uniform. Thank you LSEG for having us.
In all of these settings, I have had the privilege of representing X-Forces Enterprise and the Soldiering On Awards, but Remembrance is far bigger than any one organisation. It belongs to the individuals who served, the families who waited, the communities who rallied, and the generations who continue to honour their legacy. My role, and our role, is simply to stand alongside them with humility and gratitude.
To the Royal British Legion, to Mark Atkinson who joined us at the Soldiering On Awards, to our partners and community across the Armed Forces charity and support sector: we see the care, diligence and love you pour into this work. And to all who serve, have served, and to the families and communities who stand behind them:
We honour you.
We remember you.
We salute you.
Lest we forget.
