Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Royal British Legion launches centenary Poppy Appeal

Royal British Legion launches centenary Poppy Appeal

UK's largest charity for the Armed Forces community on Thursday (28) launched its biggest fundraising campaign by 10 generations of collectors.

The Royal British Legion (RBL) has launched its centenary Poppy Appeal, held every year in October and November, in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day, a statement said.


The charity has brought together ten generations of collectors who each represent a decade since its formation in 1921.

These collectors, aged from 10 to 95, have been paired with historic Poppy Appeal artefacts from the decade in which they were born. They will be amongst 40,000 Poppy Appeal volunteers who will be back out in force, raising vital funds to support the work of the RBL this year, the statement added.

They exchange poppies for charitable donations used to give financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the armed forces.

One of the “hero” collectors is Mirza Muhammad Sohail Shahzad, regional coordinator for the South-West of the Muslim youth group, Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA).

“I’m originally from Pakistan but I live in the UK, so I regard the British Military as our heroes. AMYA takes a lot of pride in supporting the RBL, and by collecting for the Poppy Appeal we help the families of those serving men and women. That’s why I’m so passionate about getting back out into my community to collect for the Poppy Appeal this year," said Sohail Shahzad, who has been involved with the Poppy Appeal since 2012.

According to the statement, the oldest collector is Jill Gladwell, 95, whose mother was one of the RBL’s first-ever collectors, and whose 10-year-old great-great-Niece is continuing the family tradition.

Gladwel said, “I started collecting when I was 14 in 1940, and even then, I knew the Poppy Appeal was important to the wounded men who had fought for the country and for peace. My father followed the Legion’s motto “Service not self” and I’m so happy to be back out collecting to support the Armed Forces community and their families this year.”

Also featured is Vera Parnaby,82, known as ‘Mrs Poppy’, who has raised more than £1m over 75 years collecting for the Poppy Appeal. The youngest is Masie Mead,10, who has been collecting since she was four when her father was medically discharged from the Army.

The historic artefacts worn or held by each of the collectors include an original silk poppy from the first Appeal in 1921, one of very few made by Madame Guerin, the French woman who popularised the poppy, to have survived.

Other items include a 'khadi' poppy, a limited-edition poppy released in 2018 to honour the 74,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for Britain in WW1. The ‘khadi’ poppy is made from the same linen worn by Mahatma Gandhi, which may be of interest to you and your audience.

Covid-19 restrictions led the charity to cancel all face-to-face fundraising for the first time in its history in 2020.

For more details, visit: rbl.org.uk 

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less