Poppies for profit?

[Pearls18]

Anyone else getting annoyed by this? Every year you seem to see more and more handmade poppies being sold and the blinged up ones for celebrities, just now I saw one on Facebook that costs £3 with £1 profit going to RBL, I wanted to ask where the other £2 went, I am hoping it is purely to cover costs but tbh I think if you're going to make something like that for charity perhaps your time and materials should also be the contribution but I understand not everyone will agree with that! I'm all for the poppy image being spread, but can't help but think what is wrong with the simplicity of the paper poppy- even though they are really annoying and fall off within 10 mins lol!

Oh and one woman was making them and giving contributions to H4H....wrong charity lol!!

Anyways I'm being a grump for most of it, but absolutely HATE the idea of anyone actually profiting from the poppy image and don't think this should be allowed, surely that is some kind of copyright infringement for one thing?

What are your thoughts?

(I should add my MIL gave me a woollen one lol, although I have still bought *several* paper ones)

 

[sue_88]

Absolutely agree!! Makes me angry when I see all these sparkly poppies on X factor etc and really hope ALL money goes to RBL. That's what Poppy's are for.

Every time I see a poppy seller, I buy one. I've got 15 so far this year

I believe M&S are only donating a portion of their charge for a poppy too! Sick sick sick!!

 

[Kate&Lucas]

It really bothers me. I have a FB friend who makes them and gives them out to friends/family. I don't think she actually sells them but still, to me the point of getting a poppy is you pay your donation and display your poppy to show your support?
I wouldn't mind getting a well-made poppy and having all the proceeds being donated but I haven't seen one yet. The paper ones last 5 minutes, we even bought the pin badges last year in hopes they'd last but they both fell apart after a day too.

I was going to get a diamante style one last year, but the only ones I found had 10% going to the RBL. 10%

 

[arlene]

I hate the celeb bling ones too, that's not what it's about. I bought wristbands directly from the scottish poppy appeal website, but I still put money in the tin every time I pass one. although not in M&S from now on!

 

[Tiff]

There's a "white poppies for peace" movement going on here. White Poppies For Peace. I get what they are saying, but I personally don't believe that the poppy promotes or glorifies war or killing strangers.

Its to honour and remember the sacrifices that many people paid so that we could have the freedom to do such things.

Although personally, if someone made me a woolen poppy I'd love it tbh. But that being said, I'd still donate what I could do the poppy funds that our legions put on.

 

[Pearls18]

There's a "white poppies for peace" movement going on here. White Poppies For Peace. I get what they are saying, but I personally don't believe that the poppy promotes or glorifies war or killing strangers.

Its to honour and remember the sacrifices that many people paid so that we could have the freedom to do such things.

Although personally, if someone made me a woolen poppy I'd love it tbh. But that being said, I'd still donate what I could do the poppy funds that our legions put on.

I didn't realise Canada also had the poppy as a symbol. The poppy is very misunderstood, wearing a poppy does not celebrate or condone any war, it remembers those who lost their lives at war it is completely unpolitical, I think it also represents the civilians hurt...or am I wrong in that? Well either way when I go to the remembrance parade on Sunday and when I teach DS about it I will will be remembering everyone affected by war, the civilians, the soldiers, the ones left behind, those living on a difficult home front.

There was an attempt a few years ago to make desert poppies to represent afghan but I didn't agree with that, the poppy isn't about one war that's why wearing it doesn't reflect whether you agree with a war or not, it's about victims of conflict. The British legion do some amazing work and it makes me proud to see everyone of whatever political affiliation remembering, it can be hard remembering back on times we may not always be proud of but we can learn from those times as much as the big wars and the sacrifices are always the same.

I do like my woollen poppy it's very cute and I have to say much more convenient haha.

 

[Tiff]

I could be wrong, but I was always under the impression that the red in the poppy was to symbolise the blood spilt from people who gave their lives. To me, everyone has their own personal reasons for wearing it.

I don't overly mind the idea behind the white poppy, but I wish they wouldn't piggy back on the red poppy campaign, if that makes sense? There's so many other ways to promote peace.

I don't think the red poppy is about war either. I'm not sure about other people, but when I wear my poppy its to remember the sacrifices. I don't don one and think "HECK YEAH!!! MURDER!!!!" Who does that?

Anyhoo, take that article link with a grain of salt of course. The Sun is the UK equivalent of the Daily Mail at times... I'm sure it was written as it was to create controversy.

 

[Pearls18]

I could be wrong, but I was always under the impression that the red in the poppy was to symbolise the blood spilt from people who gave their lives. To me, everyone has their own personal reasons for wearing it.

I don't overly mind the idea behind the white poppy, but I wish they wouldn't piggy back on the red poppy campaign, if that makes sense? There's so many other ways to promote peace.

I don't think the red poppy is about war either. I'm not sure about other people, but when I wear my poppy its to remember the sacrifices. I don't don one and think "HECK YEAH!!! MURDER!!!!" Who does that?

Anyhoo, take that article link with a grain of salt of course. The Sun is the UK equivalent of the Daily Mail at times... I'm sure it was written as it was to create controversy.

Ah gotta love tabloids! Yeah I know what you mean, I'm definitely not against peace lol (so long as hubby gets to keep his job )

 

[sue_88]

I buy poppies to help the Royal British Legion support our ex-servicemen who fought for our country. That's the only reason I do, and honestly don't know much about the war(s) etc but I know what a great job they did and soldiers are doing and that's why I buy to help them in their life after war / after service.

I'm up to no. 16 two little old ladies today, rattling their tin. I couldn't resist

 

[Fergie]

I buy my poppy every year and wear it with pride. My papa was bombed out of 3 merchant navy ships during the 2nd ww, my sister and her husband are both ex forces and my brother is still in the forces (BW) but due to retire next year after doing his 21 years.

The poppy to me basically says thank you. Thank you for giving up your lives, thank you to your families for standing by our troops and thank you for putting us before yourselves . When a serviceman or his family need help it's the legion who are first to offer help with funding from Earl Haig or Poppy Scotland and it's for this reason I think only they should be allowed to sell the poppy image for profit.

 

[Tiff]

Actually just watched a video clip from a WW2 vet. It is the sun that puts it on, and the video is about 11 mins long. Well worth the watch.

 

[Quackquack99]

I got a gem encrusted poppy three years ago for Christmas but all the proceeding went to rbl. My grandad fought in the second world war, summer's dad was in the Scots guard, her uncle is in the riyal engineers and so many of her ancestors were in the military. It is sort of my way of saying thank you. I still buy a paper poppy every year though.

 

[vaniilla]

This really annoys me too, it just defies the purpose! unfortunately it's a realistic glance at how most things function these days, even when you donate money directly to charities a large amount gets funneled through bureaucracy and wages so that only a percentage goes into the cause, some charities are better at this than others obviously!

 

[Tasha]

I don't like it either. I also like to buy poppy's because of what they stand for (and as mentioned that isn't war). Plus having the Poppy factory close to me I know what they do for ex-military personnel who were injured or the like, is so important, some work there (DH's grandfather did and ended up with no finger prints left on his thumbs from the job, but doubt that would happen now ) and others they try and match up with jobs with other companies through out the country. It might be 'just' making poppies to some but for some of these men and women it gives them their self worth back. As well as the obvious in the profits going to the British Legion.

Also wanted to say about M&S they sell a diamante encrusted poppy brooch for which it donates 30% (not the 3% claimed on fb) of the retail sale price to the Royal British Legion. Royal British Legion volunteers are allowed to collect at its stores and those are not in any way affected by this 30%. Important I put that out there because I would hate for people to not get a poppy cos of silly rumours on facebook.

 

[bumpy_j]

I know the official RBL site shop sells its own 'bling' poppies. I tend to buy either a paper one or the small, metal brooches - but always from a volunteer. I hate how shops are all selling their own now! They were talking about it on Watchdog, and one that was selling for £45 only gave £4.50 to charity.

 

[Bex84]

I always buy one of the paper ones. I don't think profit should be made, it should go to the charity. I believe the poppy is used as a symbol due to in the first world war after the land had been torn up through war and digging trenches and where dead bodies lay, the first thing that would grow again is poppy's hence they would be used in remembrance for what had happened

 

[maryp0ppins]

I have a bling poppy from the RBL website so I wouldn't assume that everyone who has them bought them from a shop.