Poppy Appeal: "Veterans are in a particularly bad place because of covid"

Friday 23 October 2020

The Royal British Legion is launching its 2020 Poppy Appeal today, helping veterans at a time when some have been hit hardest by the covid-19 pandemic.

The Legion says that with many facing struggles like reduced hours at work, or keeping up with rents, the funds raised from the appeal, which launches at today’s Field of Remembrance ceremony, will be life-changing.

A veteran of 9 years in the army and 3 in the reserves, Keith Sunter was helped by the Legion when he had to retire early from his law firm job due to illness. 

Keith is now Welfare Chairman for the Legion, giving the same help to other veterans that the Legion gave to him, which he described to Express as an “honour.”

Talking about the impact the funds raised by the poppy appeal will have this year, Keith said that it’s “important to understand that veterans are in a particularly bad place because of covid. Some veterans have had their hours reduced or lost their jobs, and they’ve not been able to cope with rents that they have for their houses or loans they can’t pay.”

Pictured: The Lieutenant Governor and Lady Dalton will be visiting the pop-up Poppy Shop following today's Remembrance Service.

He continued: “One in particular was in the shelter and he was just unable to get out of that situation. But we’ve managed to find him accommodation, help him with social security and income support. We’ve also been able furnish his flat for him, and he’s now out of the shelter.”

Another example Keith gave included a veteran who had got the point he was sleeping in his car, of whom Keith said “now he has accommodation and a job, and he’s very happy.”

Keith also described how the Legion has lent its support to “one family who sadly got scammed and almost lost their house,” helping them go the bank to reclaim their finances and making sure they don’t lose their accommodation.

He praised the “bravery” of the veterans who have come forward to ask for help, emphasising the courage it takes to speak up by explaining that “veterans are often very proud people and won’t say or do things until it’s too late.”

He described the Legion's help as "non-judgemental," pointing out that because their therapists are also military men, "they know what they’ve been through."

Pictured: The new venue for the pop-up Poppy Shop is at the former Beghins Store on King Street.

After the Remembrance ceremony today at 13:00 at the Parish of St Helier Great War Memorial, The Lieutenant Governor and Lady Dalton will meet volunteers at the new pop-up Poppy Shop in the former Beghins Store on King Street. 

Poppy Appeal Organiser Alison Opfermann said the move from the “small” Piquet House to the much more “spacious” new building would leave “plenty of room for social distancing” as well as offering the shop more room for its stock, which includes poppies, pins, themed masks, brooches, poppy notelets and even Jersey Wonders.  

As an “army child” of a military family spanning back through the generations, Alison said she felt a “personal link” to “this important time of remembrance.” 

She said that as well as remembrance though, there was also an element of celebration to this year’s enamel pins, with both Jersey and Guernsey having the same ‘V for Victory’ pin to mark 75 years of Liberation.

Although Alison noted that not being able to do house-to-house calls had been a blow to revenue, she said they had pioneered the campaign in other ways, such as putting QR codes on honesty boxes so people can make a direct donation straight to their website.  

In addition to the poppies and pins, the shop is also selling paintings from “well-known veteran” artist, Peter Utley, who bequeathed the Legion a number of his watercolour pieces of various island landmarks before he died.

Pictured: Alison explained that Peter Utley, an art teacher before the war, “took part in the D-Day Landings and subsequently in the battle of the Rhine and in Holland," before being on the island until he died aged 101.

Highlighting why the purchase of poppies is still vital, Alison said: “We’ve actually made quite a success this year about keeping safe and the economy going but there are still people who need support.  

“If you think people have difficulties on a day-to-day basis, think how much more difficult that is with pandemic. So come down to the shop - buy a pin, buy a poppy.”

Keith echoed her comments, saying It “helps remind everybody we’re only here because of them, and not just those in the First and Second world wars, but Borneo, Korea, Gulf Wars, the Falklands...

"They’ve kept us safe, and now we’re helping them, because we wouldn’t be sitting here talking today without them."