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Staffordshire collector craze helps poppy badges raise £140,000
Overview
A collector craze for Staffordshire-themed poppy badges, designed by retired firefighter Kelvin Chell, has raised more than £140,000 for the Royal British Legion over five years. The 19 bespoke designs feature local landmarks and symbols, attracting collectors and younger people across north Staffordshire who travel between venues to complete their sets.
Key points
- Retired firefighter Kelvin Chell has created 19 Staffordshire-themed poppy badge designs.
- The initiative has raised over £140,000 for the Royal British Legion across the past five years, with more than £50,000 raised last year alone.
- The badges feature designs combining traditional poppies with local symbols such as bottle kilns, Spitfires, rubber ducks, and the Staffordshire knot.
- The project has sparked a local collector craze, with people and younger generations travelling between pubs and shops to hunt down missing designs.
- Chell aims to raise an additional £25,000 with the latest batch of designs.