The Poppy Umbrella: Fundraising and Donations
The idea for The Poppy Umbrella was that of Lieutenant Colonel Graham Parker, OBE (Retired). He was inspired to create it on a wet 11th November Armistice Day in Ypres, Belgium, as an imaginative and practical way to carry a poppy as a
reminder of "Remembrance" throughout the year.
Graham served with the British Army for 32 years and as a Retired Officer with the British Army in Belgium for a further 12 years after that. His uncle was killed in action in the First World War, a cousin was killed in action and missing in the Second World War and a number of his colleagues and friends died on active duty during his own military career from the 1950s. Graham has studied and visited the battlefields of the Western Front, D-Day and Arnhem for over 30 years and is a renowned guide and military historian.
The Poppy Umbrella as a Fund Raising Product
The Poppy Umbrella was launched in May 1998 at the Chelsea Flower Show by H.R.H. The Duke of Kent. Over 2,000 Poppy Umbrellas were sold at the show in a few days and the significant proceeds from these sales were gratefully received by the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
Since that time numerous other organizations have expressed an interest in selling The Poppy Umbrella as a means of raising funds for their own charitable work. These organizations include charities committed to the welfare and support of today's British Armed Forces and ex-Service personnel. Also, a number of national, private and military museums dedicated to the study and remembrance of the two World Wars sell The Poppy Umbrella as a popular gift item to help generate extra funds.
This quality item has offered charitable, educational and conservation organizations the opportunity to raise significant funds from their own retail sales of The Poppy Umbrella.
Organizations generating funds from their sales of The Poppy Umbrella include:
- The Royal British Legion Poppy Shop, the National Memorial Arboretum, The Royal Hospital Chelsea, In Flanders Fields Museum (Ypres), Talbot House Museum Poperinge, The The Rifles (Berkshire and Wiltshire) Museum (Salisbury), Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum, Thiepval Visitor Centre (Somme), Historial de la Grande Guerre (Péronne), Juno Beach Museum (Normandy), Families and Friends of the First Australian Imperial Force, Australian War Memorial (Canberra).
For a list of retailers where you can buy Rembrella's Poppy Umbrella in a shop or online go to our page at:
Poppy Umbrella Sales from Rembrella Ltd.
The Poppy Umbrella is also available for sale directly to the public via this website of www.rembrella.co.uk and our site at www.greatwar.co.uk. Over the past five years a few hundred umbrellas each year have been sold this way. Proceeds from these retail sales are used to cover the administrative costs for operating the wholesale sales from which the organizations mentioned above can benefit.
A donation of 50p is made from the sale of each umbrella sold from this website to a Service charity of Rembrella's choice. As a family formerly serving with the military we have chosen to support the work being carried out by charity Help for Heroes.
- A donation of £500 was made to Help for Heroes from sales of The Poppy Umbrella via this website between April 2008-March 2009.
- A donation of £392.50 was made to Help for Heroes from sales of The Poppy Umbrella via this website between April 2009-March 2010.
- A donation of £447.00 was made to Help for Heroes from sales of The Poppy Umbrella via this website between April 2010-March 2011.
The photograph is of Lieutenant Colonel Graham Parker of Rembrella Ltd. handing over a cheque for £500 to Help For Heroes from Rembrella's retail sales of The Poppy Umbrella from April 2008- March 2009.
Help for Heroes
Help for Heroes is a registered charity set up by Bryn Parry, a former soldier, and a group of friends and relations. Help for Heroes is backed by the Army Benevolent Fund. The aim of the Help for Heroes fundraising campaign is to help the servicemen and women wounded in Iraq and who are being wounded on Tours of Duty in Afghanistan.
To make a donation directly to Help for Heroes go to the website at:
www.helpforheroes.org.uk/donations
Poppy Umbrella Products
See our three Poppy Umbrella styles
The Poppy and the First World War
See our sister website at www.greatwar.co.uk, which is full of fascinating information about visiting the First World War battlefields of the 1914-1918 Western Front.
