BLING poppies are one fundraiser's secret to boosting this year’s poppy appeal efforts.

Jessica Allen, of Wantage, has been selling the bling badges for the past six years to help collect funds for the Royal British Legion.

She has hit the ground running this year and already sold around 100 poppies both for people and their pets and is off to a good start to make her 700 poppy target.

The paper poppies are customised with red resin crystals and sold for £5 each either via Miss Allen personally, or through local businesses. They include the regular badges as well as poppies that can be slid onto pet collars.

 

The fundraiser, who also works for IT security company Sophos, said she has her eyes set firmly on having a record-breaking year to mark the 100th anniversary since the end of the First World War.

She said: “It it just such an amazing cause, my grandparents and others in my family have been in the army but also because its a cause that is ongoing.

“It is not something that is just historical but the charity also continues to help those families who have lost people [in conflicts]every day.

“Especially this year I want to raise as much money as possible, but also make it a celebration for the centenary year.”

Do it for them: if everyone in Oxfordshire buys a poppy this year it will smash the previous fundraising total

Miss Allen said last year she raised a total of £2,246.80 and this year is pushing for £3,500.

This would bring her total fundraising for the RBL over recent years up to £10,000.

The bling poppies are on sale now in shops including Mr Lee Hairdressing in Abingdon, Utopia Beauty Salon in Abingdon and The Brown Experience in north Abingdon.

The poppies are also available from Miss Allen online via facebook.com/JessicasJewelsJA