Search Icon

Olive Cooke case: charities' behaviour 'wholly inappropriate', says Chris Grayling

Leader of the House of Commons condemns behaviour of charities who inundated Britain's oldest poppy seller with requests for donations

Olive Cooke pictured in 2013 with just some of the junk mail she had been sent by charities
Olive Cooke pictured with just some of the junk mail she had been sent by charities Credit: Photo: Dave Betts / SWNS

Charities that bombarded poppy seller Olive Cooke with hundreds of requests for donations each month behaved in a "wholly inappropriate" way, Chris Grayling, the leader of the House of Commons has said.

Mrs Cooke, 92, was found dead in Avon Gorge earlier this month. Some close to her suggested that charities' behaviour may have contributed to her taking her own life.

Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Mr Grayling said: "It was a shocking case, it was an example of wholly inappropriate behaviour."

Ministers on Wednesday announced plans for a Charities Bill to introduce tighter regulation of the sector and Mr Grayling said this would provide further chance to debate the issues.

All parties would support "making sure that charities operate in a way that is acceptable and frankly consistent with the role they are supposed to play", he said.

He was responding to a question from John Spellar, who warned that across the country "vulnerable pensioners are regularly and relentlessly being targeted not only by charity fundraisers but also by criminal organisations, many operating from outside the UK", causing "great distress not only to them but also to their family and friends".

Treasured Olive Cooke started selling poppies in 1938 when she was just 16 after her father served in Gallipoli during WWI

Olive Cooke, a poppy seller for 76 years, received hundreds of request for money

Mrs Cooke, from Bristol, dedicated 76 years of her life to raising money for the Royal British Legion and is believed to have sold about 30,000 poppies.

She told newspapers late last year how she was being inundated with letters from charities, which she felt were "taking advantage" of her generosity.

But her family have said that while the charities' letters and calls were a nuisance, they were not to blame for her death.

They said she left them a "beautiful note" explaining the reasons for her death, which were connected to depression and issues around being elderly.

Despite this the charities watchdog, the Fundraising Standards Board, began an investigation into the tactics used to encourage donations.

"Even though the family have said the letters had nothing to do with [Mrs Cooke's death], there may be lessons we can learn," a spokesman said.