Don’t Kill Cash: Poppy Appeal 'could lose £20MILLION in donations' in cashless society

The RBL started its campaign in 1921, just three years after the Armistice was signed ending the First World War.

However, the appeal now faces a major challenge if the UK opts to move cashless.

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Billy Wilde, who first volunteered at the age of four, told GB News: “The Royal British Legion last year raised the headline figure of £47.7million, which is amazing.

“And yet about 40 per cent of that is actually cash.

“So to the Royal British Legion over £20million worth of the vital funds that they raise every year is cash in the pots.

“It’s really, really important to the charities not to lose out on such a huge proportion of funding.

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“The knock on effect being the lack of services we can offer to the veterans as serving personnel and the families that we vitally support.”

Wilde confirmed the charity does accept chip and pin payments but stressed cash remained fundamental.

He added: “The British Legion has been using contactless for about five or so years.

“It is the largest charity that uses it in a street appeal every year and it's growing. But cash is still making up over 40 per cent of the donations in the UK.”

The 2023 Poppy Appeal launches in October with volunteers up and down the country helping out.

Wilde’s comments come as GB News pushes on with its campaign to put pressure on the Government to protect the status of cash as legal tender and as a widely accepted means of payment.

Almost 215,000 people have signed GB News’ petition since it launched last Monday.