Oldest poppy seller found dead after 'losing faith in people'
TheGreatKatsby
Posts: 461 Forum Member
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I just read this story, and feel really saddened by it:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3081294/Britain-s-oldest-poppy-seller-dead-Avon-Gorge-aged-92.html
I didn't know that charities would target people like this. Do they sell the details of people who donate to other charities who then start hassling that person for donations? She would get phone calls every day and letters asking for money, and felt guilty that she couldn't give money to them all - at one point she had 27 direct debits a month to charities. When she cancelled them (some of them?) the harassment increased. Is it time for these charities' practices to be reviewed?
It's so sad that a woman who dedicated her life to charitable causes would be driven to despair like this.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3081294/Britain-s-oldest-poppy-seller-dead-Avon-Gorge-aged-92.html
I didn't know that charities would target people like this. Do they sell the details of people who donate to other charities who then start hassling that person for donations? She would get phone calls every day and letters asking for money, and felt guilty that she couldn't give money to them all - at one point she had 27 direct debits a month to charities. When she cancelled them (some of them?) the harassment increased. Is it time for these charities' practices to be reviewed?
It's so sad that a woman who dedicated her life to charitable causes would be driven to despair like this.
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And they do tend to follow up with phone calls to increase your donation too.
Its sad that effectively charities have got into an arms race with each other. Though there also seem to be more and more charities around.
As much as I'd hope that wouldn't be the case, it does sound like you might be on to something Jason. It actually puts me in mind of scam artists who deliberately target the elderly.
I came home one day to find my wife in tears after a phone call from the NSPCC. She'd made the mistake of giving to them and after that they wouldn't let go. They hassled her over the phone so much she broke down in tears.
The upshot of that is that they will never ever get a single penny from me again.
The same goes for quite a few of the large 'charities', especially the ones with massive multi million pound plush HQ's.
Only give to charities who are members of the Fundraising Standards Board - you can check who are members on their website. If these organisations do not respect your wishes and continue to contact you then you can complain to the FRSB about them and they will deal with the matter.
Absolutely, I could completely understand that some people would end up signing up just to get a bit of peace if they were getting hassled. I'm quite cynical myself and seeing all these different charities around I do wonder how much of the money raised actually goes to the cause...
That is disgusting, you must have been furious with the way they treated your wife.
I don't actually think they should be allowed to turn up at people's doorstep or phone them. If they must advertise then I'd say they could send out leaflets which wouldn't mean people are pressured to give money. And also they have 'chuggers' - people can decide to interact with them or not.
Doorstepping people and phoning repeatedly is simply intrusive and shouldn't be allowed.
When I first heard about Chuggers, I was surprised that they wouldn't accept donations then and there, and only wanted your bank details...
Thank you Mookie, that's helpful advice. There is one particular charity that I give money to, and I know they're completely above board with everything they do. I've never heard of the FRSB but will bear them in mind from now on if I'm considering giving to a different charity.
If charities do not follow these rules, and they are members of the FRSB (look for a blue tick) www.frsb.org.uk - then you can complain. It is only through this kind of feedback that the sector can change.
Charities do a lot of good work and need to raise money, methods such as door to door raise lots of money for great things, but people should be aware of their rights - and if you wish to donate to a charity but not be contacted, then make this clear. There should always be an opt in or out option for contact - if this is not respected then do contact the charity or the FRSB.
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SHE was a Bristol treasure, dedicating 76 years of her life to tireless fundraising. Olive Cooke, one of Britain's oldest poppy seller, has died aged 92.
Olive's body was discovered in the Avon Gorge on Wednesday, May 6 by police and fire rescue teams. Police are not treating the death as suspicious.
The news of Olive's death has shocked and saddened the community in Bristol. She had become a familiar face for many over the years, standing in the doorway of Bristol Cathedral each November selling poppies for the Royal British Legion.
Olive's family – daughter Kathryn; son, Del; grandchildren Louise, Kevin, Rhia and Jessica; and great-grandchildren Louis and Aeris – said she will be greatly missed.
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Kathryn said: "My mum was much loved. She lived a long life and achieved so much. We are all, as a family, so proud of everything she did. She was a humanitarian and would have done anything for anybody. She will be missed by us all."
Granddaughter Louise added: "She was a bit of a legend in Bristol, and was well known and well-liked by everybody. We want her life to celebrated and for people to remember all the amazing things she achieved. She is now at peace."
Olive had been a poppy seller since the age of 16, when she was inspired by her father's work setting up a Royal British Legion in Bedminster.
But the poppies took on a whole new meaning for Olive when she lost her beloved first husband, Leslie, in the Second World War, aged just 28.
Following his death, Olive, who lived in Fishponds, dedicated her life to fundraising, and became Britain's oldest and most well-known poppy seller, still fundraising every day in the lead build up to Remembrance Day at the age of 92.
She re-married twice after Leslie, going on to have three children, but she never forgot the memory of her first husband, which is what drove her to continue selling the poppies.
David Lowe, The Royal British Legion's area manager for South West Midlands, described her fundraising efforts as "remarkable" and said she would be greatly missed.
He said: "We are very sad to learn of the passing of Olive Cooke, who we came to respect and admire over more than seven-and-a-half decades of service to The Royal British Legion.
"As well as collecting, Olive found time to become the standard bearer in the Bedminster Down Women's section – a task she carried out for 54 years until 1998."
Olive's tireless fundraising efforts did not go unnoticed, winning her a number of regional and national awards.
Mr Lowe added: "Olive later became secretary and chairman of the section. Her dedication to the charity saw her presented with a special medal from The Royal British Legion to mark her achievements.
"Olive's remarkable efforts over the years should be highly commended. She will be greatly missed, but not forgotten. Our thoughts and condolences are with Olive's friends and family at this time."
Last year, Olive was awarded the Bristol Post's Gold Star Award, as well as the Lord Mayor's Medal for her dedicated work supporting the Royal British Legion. She was also honoured with the Points of Light award from the Prime Minister.
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The Lord Mayor of Bristol, Alastair Watson, paid tribute to Olive. He said: "We were all deeply saddened to hear about the death of Olive Cooke. She was a wonderful lady who dedicated her life to selling poppies and helping other people.
"Our paths crossed at many events, and I was delighted to be able to award her the Lord Mayor's medal last year at a special afternoon tea at the Mansion House.
"Her death is a big loss to the city of Bristol, and our thoughts are with all of her family and friends at this sad time."
Olive also raised thousands of pounds for other charities over the years, and up until her death was spending almost all of her state pension on monthly charity donations.
Close friend Michael Earley, 72, from Eastville, said Olive would have given her "last penny" to help people.
He said: "I thought the world of Olive, she had a wonderful smile that I will remember forever.
"I went up to the Clifton Suspension Bridge at the weekend, and I found a woman who had lost £90. I walked down the path and spotted the money in the bush and managed to find her again to give it back. I thought that was because of Olive - still giving to people.
"It's tragic what has happened, and she will be missed by many people."
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: "We recovered the body of an elderly woman from the Avon Gorge on Wednesday, May 6."
Read more: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Britain-s-oldest-poppy-seller-92-year-old-Olive/story-26497837-detail/story.html#ixzz3a82V2Ipd
Follow us: @BristolPost on Twitter | bristolpost on Facebook
The charity industry - and make no mistake, that's what it is these days is completely out of hand. Six figure salaries for their executives? Outrageous and unrealistic prices in their shops. The original concept of the charity shop was two-fold - to raise money by the sale of items and to make items available at a lower price to those who didn't have a great deal of money to spare. Nowadays, the items that might appeal to the hard might not even make it to the shelves, but be binned instead.
This kind of behaviour is one reason that I will not engaging with them on any level. I will not answer any telephone call if I do not recognise the number (I'll admit that I do occasionally slip up, but as soon as they start any kind of "spiel" I terminate the call then and there). Chuggers in the street get blanked. Door-to-door chuggers get invited to leave - pronto.
Those in charge of the 27 organisations should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. Even if they can't be held legally accountable (which, I regret to say, I'm fairly sure that they can't) they bear the moral responsibility for shortening her life and destroying the quality of her final years.
"Outraged" is a description I use sparingly but, yes, in this instance I am well and truly outraged.
ETA: I have and will continue to donate to charities, but this is strictly on my terms. I concentrate mostly on smaller, locally based ones, on the basis of my choice - not who accosts me in the street or turns up unbidden on my doorstep or at the end of an unsolicited telephone call.
So very wrong that the only way she could find peace was to kill herself.
I hope those concerned are shocked and ashamed of themselves.
In the end it had to stop. It wasn't that I'd lost my compassion, I was just exhausted with it all. I couldn't keep that kind of commitment up. It was impossible.
Instead, I decided that I would make a commitment to supporting three charities which I feel especially connected to. The British Red Cross (covers international aid such as the Tibet earthquake disaster), the NSPCC (covers safety for children) and the British Heart Foundation (because my father in law had a heart transplant).
I am now comfortable that I am "doing my bit" for my fellow human and i believe that the charities I chose are reputable agencies which do genuine good work in a responsible way.
I give as much as I can and by adopting this method I can now easily say no to others who hold out their begging bowl. My conscience is not troubled one bit.
I've been giving to a couple of charities via direct debit, and ever since I have I've been inundated with calls from other charities wanting me to donate to them as well and they use a hard sell and try and play on my conscience, but it's got to the point now where I'm immune to them but they still phone - to be fair it's not the actual charity ringing but a 3rd party fund raising company employed by them, so now unless its the charity themselves they can sod off and I also make a point of not donating to charities that have plush HQ's and executives on fantastic wages.
Handing you bank details over to people calling you up is never a good idea in any case. Some people obviously do or they wouldn't do it, but it's risky. It could be anyone phoning pretending to be from a charity.
When she passed away last year and we had to sort out her affairs, we found 4 direct debits set up to various charities.
It does make you wonder if there is some sort of "mugs" list. And seeing some of the flash cars these charity managers drive, it does make you wonder if all this money is going to these good causes.
I agree, they're a bloody nuisance. One tried to send me on a guilt trip by asking "don't you care that children are starving" - so I trolled her and said "No, I don't give a crap"
I do care really, but I am not happy about being harrassed in my own house.
It sickens me the way these people target old folk.
Almost certainly yes, I fear.
Some people have mentioned about the charities passing on the phone numbers of easy targets, well they wouldn't need to do that. If it's a third party doing the fund raising what's stopping them using the numbers they have had success with for other charities they have contracts with?
Her close friend Michael Earley who called her every day told how she stopped answering the phone in fear of the 'cold callers' but he believes the loss of the £250 was the final straw.
Why oh why could she not bring herself to sit and talk instead? Very very sad.
Eight years ago i had a very minor accident in Germany and the driver of the other vehicle insisted on calling the Police. I'd only bent her number plate!
To this day i still get damn stupid cold callers on my mobile about "we hear you had an accident recently and believe you are entitled to a claim..". >:(>:(
I think she had spent so many years of her life giving to others, it was like errrr this is my life now. Others just took advantage of her so so heart breaking. Hope she rests in peace her work is now over