Retired firefighter raises more than £50k for charity

A retired firefighter in Staffordshire has raised £50,000 for the Royal British Legion by selling poppies around Remembrance Day, taking his grand total to a whopping £121,900 over the last four years.

Kelvin Chell, who served Staffordshire communities for more than 50 years, sold poppy badges with distinctive designs across a number of different locations to raise money for charity.

In 2024, he raised an impressive £43,000 but this year he beat that by around £7,000, finishing with a grand total of £50,007.

Kelvin recently presented the cheque to representatives from the Royal British Legion alongside Chief Fire Officer, Rob Barber.

Kelvin said: “It has been an honour to raise so much money for a great cause with this yearly campaign, and I’m so pleased at how well the poppies have sold yet again.

“This was the fourth year of selling the poppies and this year I introduced nine new designs, which were really popular.

“Thanks to all those who supported my fundraiser, the money will go a long way in supporting serving and ex-serving military personnel and their families.”