Support for Poppy League cause for concern

Though the Barbados Poppy League is proudly celebrating 100 years of sterling service and support for military veterans on the island, that organisation is reporting a worrying decline in contributions towards its annual poppy appeal collections.

While speaking during the league’s awards ceremony held at State House last Saturday, President of the organisation, Lieutenant Colonel Neville Edwards, told attendees that though the organisation reported a considerably low collection for the appeal during the two years at the height of COVID-19, collections overall have been steadily decreasing over the course of the last decade.

“There has been a steady decline in the receipts from the annual poppy appeal, a reflection perhaps of the economic times we are in. A review of the last 10 years has shown that 2013 was the best year, raising $106,700 while the pre COVID-19 low was 2018, when $65,980 were raised. For the two pandemic years, the appeals yielded $58,227 in 2020, and $60,578 in 2021, somewhat lower than the pre-pandemic figures because understandably there were no face to face collections.

Chief Justice of Barbados, Sir Patterson Cheltenham.

“This declining return of the poppy appeal has been exacerbated by the increasing
demand on the Legion’s funds, particularly in the areas of medicals and home repairs, so ways and means of increasing funding must be found.”

Given the dire financial situation of the fund, the annual poppy appeal’s period has been extended to four weeks beginning October 17th, with the league intending to monitor the situation to gauge if collections have noticeably increased.

Meanwhile during his brief remarks, Chief Justice of Barbados, Sir Patterson Cheltenham, said the league like other organisations must remain abreast of the changing demographics within the society, in order to keep the fund relevant for years to come.

“In my view, this apathetic response is rooted in a disconnect between those to whom the request is made, and those selling the poppy. I am not aware that as a part of our history, we have emphasised the role of our fallen and surviving heroes who fought in World War 1 and 2. Those who run institutions must remain acutely conscious of generational change, and the need to tailor one’s message to the varied demographic presence that emerged in the course of the past 100 years.

“In an era that frowns upon service, your dedication to this cause represents the highest and finest of the human spirit,” Sir Patterson said.

(SB)