Despicable charities preying on the elderly

OLIVE COOKE epitomised all that is great about our older generation. At 92, she was Britain’s longest serving poppy seller, having stood on the steps of Bristol Cathedral every November since 1938 to raise money for the Royal British legion.

She was inspired to help by her father’s service at Gallipoli, and continued to do so long after the death of her young husband in World War ii.

Wearing his medals proudly on her coat, she was determined to honour the sacrifices that those like him had made for our freedom.

So how truly sickening that this most kind-hearted of women was preyed upon in her old age by charities demanding more and more of her money, to the point where she could take no more and committed suicide.

The grandmother of f our was making direct debit donations to 27 charities. Yet still she received 180 begging letters a month and endless pestering phone calls.

Anyone with elderly parents or friends will be familiar with this nightmare. Cold callers and callous opportunists deliberately target the frail and susceptible — a generation for whom courtesy is as ingrained in their character as generosity.

Pensions salesmen. Double glazing firms. Roofing contractors. They all try to harass the elderly into parting with their savings. But charities are perhaps the worst offenders.

As the Daily Mail has exposed, donating just £5 to a charity can trigger months of cold calls as they try to bully you into giving more.

Shamefully, this tactic is used by many of our most respected charities, including UNICEF, the NSPCC and Barnardo’s. Many outsource the operation to call centre firms, which get a lucrative commission for every donor they sign up.

This cannot continue. We need legislation to punish companies and charities that pass on personal details. it should be a criminal offence to target the elderly or vulnerable repeatedly.

For the sake of Olive Cooke and her selfless generation, it’s time to stop this despicable practice.