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JCB raises £12,500 for Poppy Appeal

JCB employees have helped raise £12,500 for this year's Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal through the sale of commemorative pin badges featuring one of the manufacturer's backhoe loaders.

The poppy-themed badges, the idea of retired Staffordshire firefighter Kelvin Chell, were sold across all 11 of JCB's UK manufacturing sites in the run-up to Armistice Day. Employees bought all 2,400 badges within days, raising more than £11,400, with JCB adding a further contribution to bring the total to £12,500. Kelvin has also sold another 850 badges through local retailers and online, receiving orders from as far afield as the United States, Canada, Ireland and the Orkney Islands.

Having produced 39 different themed poppy badges in recent years, Kelvin approached JCB after hearing about the company's 80th anniversary last year. Following approval of the design, JCB and Fenton-based supplier Rayne Engineering joined forces to help fund production. The initiative has taken Kelvin's fundraising total for the Royal British Legion beyond £150,000 over the past six years, with further fundraising efforts planned.

Kelvin, of Audley, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, said: “Sales of the JCB badges have been brilliant. I have had orders from all over the world and we could definitely have sold more. I am very grateful for the support of JCB and Rayne Engineering in bringing this idea to life. The Royal British Legion is a cause close to my heart and every badge sold will help veterans and their families.”

JCB Head of Defence, former Army Brigadier Adam Fraser-Hitchen DL, officially handed over the funds at the manufacturer's World Headquarters in Rocester. He said: “It has been a real privilege for the company to support Kelvin’s incredible fundraising work and it is no surprise that the badges have sold out so quickly. As a company we hold the UK’s Armed Forces in high regard and we employ many veterans.”

Annemarie Jones, Regional Poppy Appeal Manager for the Northeast and Northwest Midlands, added: “We are incredibly grateful for the continued support of JCB and Kelvin. This has been a lovely initiative which has raised important funds for the armed services community.”

The fundraiser continues JCB's longstanding support for the Royal British Legion, including the unveiling of a special poppy-themed machine in 2018, which was auctioned for the charity to mark the centenary of the Armistice. Kelvin has also produced a range of Staffordshire-themed poppy badges, featuring designs including the Staffordshire Knot, Potteries bottle kilns and the Spitfire fighter plane.

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