DISABLED ex-servicemen and women working at Scotland’s poppy factory have received a boost with the news they are to be paid the living wage.

More than five million poppies and 12,000 wreaths are made by the 41-strong team every year at the Lady Haig Poppy Factory (LHPF) in Edinburgh.

The commitment by LHPF to the living wage will ensure that all staff – regardless of whether they are direct employees or working on a third-party contractual basis – receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.45. This rate is significantly higher than the statutory minimum rate for over-25s of £7.50 per hour introduced earlier this year.

“We are delighted to be formally recognised as an Accredited Living Wage Employer,” said manager Charlie Pelling. “This demonstrates our continuing commitment to providing dignity through work to disabled ex-servicemen and servicewomen who might otherwise struggle to find meaningful employment.”

The factory was established almost 100 years ago to make poppies for the Scottish Poppy Appeal and set up by Lady Haig, wife of Field Marshall Earl Haig. The appeal has been running ever since and continues to raise funds to support veterans and their dependents in Scotland.

Premises for the first poppy factory, in the form of an old wood-chopping factory, were acquired and from a humble start in March 1926 of “two workers, a pair of scissors and a piece of paper”, numbers soon rose to 28 with a waiting list of 117 people who wished to be employed.

The demand for poppies and wreaths was met and the introduction of stuffed toys and jigsaw puzzles in 1928 heralded an expansion of activity into a wide range of hand-crafted goods. Wreaths were made with locally grown laurel leaves, wax poppy seeds and moss which was gathered by Girl Guides.

The business moved to a factory in Warriston Road in 1965 and currently has a work force of 41 ex-servicemen and women, the large majority of whom are registered disabled.

The Poppy Factory also recently re-qualified as a Disability Confident Employer, ensuring that disabled people and those with long-term health conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.

The Poverty Alliance has welcomed the factory’s accreditation.

“The real living wage is one of the key tools at our disposal to help make an impact on levels of in-work poverty in Scotland,” said director Peter Kelly. “There is a strong business case for paying the living wage but, crucially, it allows those in work to become more included in society, better provide for their families, and feel that their value and hard work is recognised by their employer.

“We are delighted to congratulate Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory on becoming a living wage employer, joining the growing movement of 800-plus companies in Scotland who want to go further than the government minimum.”