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The Royal British Legion has distanced itself from an anti-migrant group that has been accused of misleading the public through its fundraising, by using the charity’s Remembrance poppy branding.
Rushmoor People First (RPF) is an activist organisation in Hampshire which has led a string of anti-asylum-seeker protests, including outside hotels. It is currently running a ‘Raise the Poppies’ fundraising campaign – using what appears to be Royal British Legion (RBL) imagery and language, without sign-off from the charity.
The group appears to have moved between at least three crowdfunding pages as earlier ones were taken down. After Byline Times contacted fundraising platform Crowdfunder, raising the Royal British Legion’s comments, the latest page was taken down.
Rushmoor People First has also been accused of placing unauthorised poppy attachments on council-owned lamp posts.
The Royal British Legion has attempted to contact Rushmoor People First through its social media channels to discuss the nature of the Raise the Poppies initiative and its associated fundraising but has not received any response, Byline Times can reveal.
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Simon Kelman, an Aldershot resident, has been sounding the alarm about Rushmoor People First’s apparent attempts to co-opt poppy imagery to raise cash for its controversial activities.
He has reported RPF’s crowdfunding campaigns to several platforms, which led to one platform, Collection Pot, removing RPF’s ‘Raise the Poppies’ pages. Kelman believes RPF has misrepresented itself as a charity. He has reported RPF to the Charity Commission, the Fundraising Regulator, and RBL’s legal team, among others.
The fundraising campaigns claimed donations “support the Royal British Legion” and that money spent buying poppies “goes directly to support” it.
However, the Royal British Legion wants nothing to do with it.
Anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate has previously reported that RPF has attracted to its events a raft of Patriotic Alternative members, as well as former English Defence League and National Front activists. Searchlight magazine has also raised concerns over the group’s use of the Remembrance poppy to raise cash.
RPF leader Jeremy ‘Jez’ Stocking (also known as Jeremy Charles) was an election agent for Reform UK councillor Sharon Harvey in this May’s elections. Stocking has continued to campaign for Reform, including urging RPF activists to vote for Nigel Farage’s party. RPF activists are believed to have campaigned for Reform candidates at the same elections.
Stocking was present when activists stormed an anti-racism meeting at Holy Trinity Church in Aldershot in December 2024, an event which led to the conviction of four far-right activists for assault (Stocking was not charged or convicted), as this outlet exclusively reported.
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The red poppy has been the UK’s symbol of Remembrance since 1921, when the newly formed British Legion held its first Poppy Appeal. It is worn to remember members of the Armed Forces who have died in conflict – with money raised through the appeal supporting serving personnel, veterans and their families.
RBL owns several registered trademarks related to Remembrance commemorations, including the two-petal Poppy logo and the word POPPY in capitals, which appear to have been used by the anti-migrant group to raise cash for its organisation.
RBL does not have a record of purchases of poppies made by Rushmoor People First, though individuals linked to the group may have made purchases.
Where an individual or organisation…