Retired firefighter smashes fundraising target

A retired firefighter has raised more than £136,000 for the Royal British Legion by selling Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent-themed poppy pin badges.

Kelvin Chell has been selling the badges, featuring designs like Spitfires, potbanks and ducks, for the last five years.

In 2025 alone, he has raised £50,000, something he never imagined he would achieve, and his designs for 2026 are already being made.

"It's just a very simple idea which has hit the hearts of people," he said, adding that he sometimes has to pinch himself as he "never dreamt" of raising so much money.

The people who fought in the wars, fought for us, said Mr Chell, explaining why it was important to him to raise money for The Royal British Legion.

"I'm lucky I've not had to fight in a war, but those ladies, gentlemen and even animals, if it wasn't for them, where would be today? We just don't know."

"It's an act of rememberance," he said.

The customised Staffordshire poppies were first made in 2020, with the initial design including a Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service cap badge.

They were sold to people in the fire service for the first two years, which went really well, so Mr Chell started to think about expanding the idea.

The first three local landmark designs were the pithead wheel at Apedale Country Park, the Spitfire at the Potteries Museum and a potbank.

They have sold internationally, with orders from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa.

He said a mining-themed poppy had been very popular with the mining community worldwide, and there will be another in the 2026 collection.

Mr Chell said he does not tend to sell the new poppy badges until August, but once people know he has them from February onwards, orders start to arrive.

"Because people want the full set. There's 19 in the set... and with what I'm doing next year that will probably take it up to 25."

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