Poppyscotland goes digital amid pandemic

You will be able to use your bank card to pay for a poppy in the run up to Remembrance Day, as the Poppyscotland adapts to deal with Coronavirus.

This year there will be fewer collectors on the streets, but those that are out and about will have QR codes for digital payments.

The public is also being encouraged to “Donate, Download and Display” a poppy in the window of their homes. Poppyscotland have created a downloadable poppy to print and display, and blank poppy which children can be coloured in.

Donations raised during the Scottish Poppy Appeal are used to provide vial life-changing support to the Armed Forces community living throughout Scotland, including specialist advice, employment support, home adaptations and funding packages.

Gordon Michie, Poppyscotland’s Head of Fundraising, said: “There is no other way to put it – we are in a state of emergency.

“This weekend should have seen thousands of volunteers out distributing poppies and encouraging donations for what is normally Scotland’s largest annual street collection. Unfortunately, this year we are not going to see anything like the typical level of street donations.

“This is one of the most crucial and challenging years in the long history of the Poppy Appeal. The world may have stopped, but our support for those most vulnerable in our community cannot.

“The public have always been behind us, and incredibly generous with their support. We are asking that this year, they do not forget us and continue to donate through online channels.

“We need your support now, more than we ever have – every poppy counts.”

The Scottish Poppy Appeal usually raises more than £2 million each year, with every penny going towards those who have served in the Armed Forces, helping them integrate back into society.