Poppy collector Olive Cooke dies age 92

[maureenho]

Poppy collector Olive Cooke 'exhausted by charity requests' p0923 p0923 p0923

50 minutes ago
From the section Bristol

Olive Cooke had complained about the volume of junk mail she received

A 92-year-old woman found dead in the Avon Gorge last week had been "exhausted" by requests for money from different charities, a friend has said.

Olive Cooke, one of the longest-serving poppy sellers, was found two days before the 70th anniversary of VE Day.

Her friend Michael Earley said she had been "under pressure" from charity requests, although she had also suffered ill health.

He said she was being sent 180 letters a month and was plagued by phone calls.

Police confirmed a body was found in Avon Gorge on 6 May and had been referred to the Avon Coroner as a "sudden death". An inquest is expected to open next week.
'Pestering'

Last year Mrs Cooke told the Bristol Post she spent much of her pension on charity donations but was receiving an "overwhelming" number of letters and phone calls asking for more. She believed charities were passing on her details to others.

Her friend Mr Earley told BBC Radio Bristol that while he would not blame her death entirely on charities "pestering" her - she had been "under pressure".

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-32748923

[Rosalind]

So sad to hear this, what a shame the lady could not say no

[annie]

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