# A century of British Red Cross fundraising collecting boxes

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/05/06/century-british-red-cross-fundraising-collecting-boxes/
- Published: 2016-05-06T11:43:49+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Next week is British Red Cross Week, the charity’s annual national fundraising
campaign. It is highlighting this by demonstrating how its collecting boxes have
changed over the past century.**

These collecting boxes have an impressive fundraising record. During the First World
War, the British Red Cross raised over £21 million – “the equivalent of £1.3 billion
today”.

The first collecting boxes were wooden and simple, but with clear asks or thank 
you messages on them. In the 1920s designs became more creative with a version of
one of the charity’s ambulances appearing with a coin slot in the roof.

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In the 1930s and ’40s human figures were sometimes used.

 

![Second World War British Red Cross collecting box](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.
cloud/2016/05/british-red-cross-century-of-collecting-boxes-ww11.jpg)

_British Red Cross collecting box from the second world war. Image: British Red 
Cross_

 

By the 1950s the collecting tins were become even more creative and interactive.“
Push me in – a coin will call me out” is the message on one. Sure enough, if you
drop a coin in the slot, an ambulance comes out of its wooden garage.

Simple metal collecting tins continued in use throughout, all with the globally 
recognised emblem of the red cross.

A 1970 collecting tin used on house-to-house collections featured a more modern 
design on it, celebrating the charity’s centenary.

By 1984 the charity was using plastic collecting boxes. A 3D cross-shaped box introduced
then is still in use now.

Some collecting tins were clearly not easy to carry around, especially when full,
so the [British Red Cross](http://www.redcross.org.uk), like many other charities,
adopted the ‘waisted’ plastic collection boxes which are easier on the wrist.

The charity’s trip through its collecting box history concludes with a call to action,
inviting people to take part in its national collection in British Red Cross week.

“Be part of our history and bring hope to people in crisis”

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