The Royal British Legion embarks on a campaign to change its image and appeal to young people as it faces up to the challenges of the 21st century...

WE LIVE in an image-conscious world.Fashion changes faster than our wallets care to imagine. Today's pop music is tomorrow's classical variety and if you don't have the latest video mobile phone then you're a nobody.

In a society preoccupied with the way we look it can be hard remaining relevant to the 21st century.

It's a challenge facing many organisations, not least the Royal British Legion.

For the past 82 years the charity has been raising money for the servicemen and women who have fought in conflicts across the globe.

But let's face it, when you mention the Legion, the age-old image of the annual Poppy Appeal and veterans of the two world wars marching to the Cenotaph is conjured up.

It's a stereotype and, therefore, an image problem. Possibly it was one cause for the dip in the amount collected during last year's Poppy Appeal.

But far from standing still, the Legion has decided to tackle the problem head on.

This year it has launched a campaign called Count Me In, aimed at encouraging younger people to get involved in the Poppy Appeal.

While retaining its older membership, the Legion has to be seen to be relevant if it is to keep going.

It is not just about the ranks of elderly servicemen marching to the local war memorial for the two-minute silence on November 11.

Neither is it about the depleted army of poppy sellers standing on the corner outside the local shopping centre.

Just ask Southampton teacher Jane Webster.

When Jane, a 48-year-old mother of three, decided she wanted to pursue a career in teaching she was told that she would need to demonstrate participating in a recent course of study.

A place at Southampton University to do a Master of Arts course in English literature was offered to her with limited sponsorship.

But it looked like she would have to turn down the offer because she faced the task of supporting her children.

It was then that her father, an ex-servicemen in the Royal Enniskillen Dragoon Guards, suggested she should approach the Legion.

Jane, who also served in Germany as a TA in the Royal Corps Transport, said: "With a family to support it would have been difficult to do the year-long course.

"The Legion gave me £3,000, which enabled me to do the Masters and I also did a maths course in the evenings so I could teach at secondary level.

"I could not have gone into teaching without the Legion's support. They really helped me.

"A lot of people don't understand the Legion. I think people have said they are supporting war by wearing a poppy - but it does not mean that.

"It's about helping people who have been affected by war and all ex-servicemen, not just those from the world wars."

Jane, of Woodcote Road, Highfield, Southampton, now teaches girls aged 11 to 16 at Sholing Technology College.

"It's important to raise awareness about the work the British Legion does," she added.

"It's not just about the social side - their annual Poppy Appeal helps people of all ages.

"Even my children are entitled to help, should they need it.

"I found it hard to find poppies last year but I don't think people have forgotten about the Poppy Appeal - it's just I don't think they understand the work that is done.

"With the latest conflict in Iraq it is even more relevant. There are a lot of people out there that the Royal British Legion helps."

As revealed in the Daily Echo, the amount collected in the Poppy Appeal last year in Hampshire fell by £17,000.

On the back of these results the Royal British Legion decided it needed a different - if not radically different - approach to the way it was perceived.

The legion plumped on attracting a younger audience.

The Echo asked image specialists Leepeckgreenfield for their ideas on how to freshen the legion's image.

The Southampton public relations gurus said: "People need to be made aware of where their donations go and, therefore, the Royal British Legion could try to be more open about how much money is generated each year through the poppy appeal and what the money is spent on.

"Maybe this could be in the form of a small leaflet people could pick up when they buy a poppy.

"Our view was that people often associate the poppy with the First World War and the Second World War and forget that the legion is dedicated to helping current British service men and women and their families involved in recent conflicts.

"New branding and a revised strapline is also recommended.

"Perhaps the red poppy could be slightly adapted each year to remind people that their money will be spent helping our service men and women currently involved in the Gulf conflicts."

Some of these ideas have already been taken on by the Legion. It has produced a leaflet appealing for more poppy collectors and explaining some of the work they do.

But there is still work to do.

Retired Col Shane Hearn, the Royal British Legion's field officer for Hampshire, has been inundated with inquiries from people wanting to do their bit for the Poppy Appeal, since the Echo launched its campaign calling for more collectors.

He said: "Often people have not known how to go about getting involved.

"We feel it's our duty to give everybody the opportunity to buy a poppy.

"It is said that one in 15 people in the country are entitled to assistance from the Legion, whether it's financial, or stairlifts, washing machines, wheelchairs and even for study.

"To make this possible we do need collectors, especially people who go from house to house collecting - even if it's for just one hour."

To find out more about becoming a Poppy Appeal collector contact 023 8062 0900, e-mail poppypeople@britishlegion.org.uk, or visit www.poppy.org.uk