Legion's warning as Covid crisis set to decimate Poppy Appeal
Donations to this year’s Poppy Appeal could be half of that given in a normal year, it was warned today.
In the week that the annual appeal is launched, Royal British Legion volunteers in the West Midlands spoke of the challenge they face to bring in much-needed income.
A single collection stall at a major supermarket in our region brought in almost £20,000 last year.
But with physical sales of poppies severely restricted, and sales in stores not possible, that income will be lost.
Today Shropshire’s Royal British Legion’s Battle Back Centre spoke of the desperate need to keep up donations.
The centre, based in Lilleshall, near Newport, specialises in helping veterans who are recovering from both physical injury and psychological trauma.
Sally Green, assistant recovery manager at the centre, says £2.5 million needs to be raised every year just to keep the centre operating to the capacity required.
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It is feared the funding could be cut if the £50 million normally raised from the Poppy Appeal is cut.
The Royal British Legion estimates donations could be halved this year because people will find it difficult to pick up their poppy. Collectors who normally take to the streets of Shropshire and Mid Wales will no longer be able to carry out their duties either because of coronavirus restrictions or because they are themselves shielding.
Far less will also be collected from workplaces because many office workers are now staying at home. And restrictions in pubs, which mean customers cannot approach the bar, will also have an impact.
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Sally said: “A lot of the volunteers you see on the streets won’t be there this year. We’re expecting it to be a really difficult.
Remembrance Sunday parades in our region have been either scrapped or dramatically downscaled this year.
But the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire is allowing visitors to its annual Royal British Legion’s Field of Remembrance, with strict social distancing measures in place.
More ways to show support than ever before
Jenny Robey, Shropshire community fundraiser at the Royal British Legion, said this year’s appeal would be very different to those in the past, but said there would also be more ways to support it than ever before.
Miss Robey said the number of volunteers working on the appeal nationally was down from 40,000 to 12,000, and the number of collection tins in public places would be about 10-15 per cent of normal levels.
She said it would still be able to buy poppies in most major supermarkets, and nobody should have to travel more than five miles to buy a poppy.
Miss Robey said people would also be able to buy ‘virtual poppies’ on the legion website, which they could print off and stick in their windows.
“There is also one for children which they can colour in,” she said.
Miss Robey added that people who were shielding could order 20 free poppies from the Royal British Legion website, which would be sent our in the post for them to sell to members of their support bubble.
She said it was hard to predict what impact the Covid restrictions would have on sales.
“We are not going to have the same number of sellers operating face-to-face on the streets, but we’re hoping the public will still do what they always do,” she said.
“It’s going to be a very strange year, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a job to do.”
Market Drayton is normally home to one of the biggest Remembrance Sunday parades in Shropshire, but the normal ceremony will this year be replaced by an online service.
Churches
Mick Hughes, of the town’s Royal British Legion branch, said its members had been working on the the video for the past two weeks, which would include pre-recorded readings and messages and footage from a previous ceremony.
“We are going to do an act of homage by the Silver Buglers of the Light Division,” he said. “We have got all the churches of Market Drayton involved, we have got five members of the clergy.
There will also be a fly-past, and the virtual ceremony will include live footage of a small number of local dignitaries, including North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson, laying wreaths at the memorial.
Mr Hughes urged people to keep away from the memorial on the day.
Staffordshire’s National Memorial Arboretum is the spiritual home of the nation’s fallen heroes and a place thousands visit to pay their respects every year.
Visitors to the Arboretum, near Lichfield, home to the Royal British Legion’s Field of Remembrance, have had to be tightly controlled since reopening in June but donations remain healthy.
A spokesman said: “Despite everything our numbers have remained really robust. People are looking for things to do, especially when we had the nicer weather.
“Numbers are really strong, there is a real demand and people who are coming in are being incredibly generous and recognising the challenging times at the moment for charities.
“While for individual services numbers are tightly restricted, overall over the Remembrance period we have had healthy visitor numbers which means we stand a good chance of ensuring the Remembrance period is as successful as any other.”
Restrictions on poppy sellers to fight Covid
Every year thousands of volunteers rise to the challenge of honouring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
In October in Britain, the familiar sight of the red poppy is as certain as Halloween.
But with 2020 having been a year like no other, the Poppy Appeal is facing an uphill battle - and coronavirus is the enemy.
Remembrance events are particularly facing difficulties this year, with the region now under tighter restrictions and many of the people who get involved with the organising and volunteering at a local level falling into the elderly and vulnerable category.
Many poppy sellers will not be able to take part this year due to the risks involved, putting a big dent into the resources of the Royal British Legion, which runs the Poppy Appeal.
Supermarkets, where many poppies are sold, have had to consider how they can accommodate sellers while ensuring social distancing is maintained and contact prevented, or if to allow them in at all.
New restrictions are likely to result in a fall in custom at pubs, where punters cannot approach the bar, somewhere else poppies are traditionally seen on sale.
Encouraged
Branch chairmen believe donations to this year’s Poppy Appeal, some of which goes towards rehabilitating service members back into civilian life, helping them with their disabilities and supporting those with PTSD, could fall by around half.
Remembrance services are also being massively scaled back, with events being tightly controlled meaning branch organisers have been kept waiting by Westminster and local town halls to hear what they can and can’t do.
But the Royal British Legion and its army of volunteers will not be deterred.
Supporters are being encouraged to bulk buy poppies through the Legion’s website and give them to friends and family, to try and ensure that even if there are fewer poppies in shops and on streets, as many people as possible can still get their hands on one.
And those volunteers who can still take part will be selling as many poppies in as many locations as the current law allows.
