A VETERAN poppy seller has played down fears about branches of the Royal British Legion closing after thousands of members quit over plans to integrate its independent women’s section.

The Royal British Legion (RBL) is planning to integrate its women’s section by October 1, 2017.

Chairwoman of the RBL’s women’s section Marilyn Humphry dismissed sexism fears after 5,065 female members quit and 97 branches closed since October, when the organisation opened membership renewal for the first time since the December 2015 announcement.

County Durham poppy seller Vera Parnaby, who has been involved in the organisation for more than 70 years and is secretary treasurer of the Consett branch, said the change was administrative.

Mrs Parnaby, from Blackhill, Consett, said: “A lot of members have closed their branches because they weren’t happy because of something that came out about integrations but it hasn’t gone ahead, or not in the form they were talking about in the first place.

“We are still members of the women’s section and will be running the women’s section.

“Consett is still open and is open to new members.”

Some branches have closed because of fears integration could mean women-only branches could lose their identity

Hazel Kingswood, 67, an RBL women’s section member in Norfolk since 1982, told the Mail Online that volunteers were being treated in a “pre-suffragette manner”.

Ms Humphrey said: “This is all being sensationalised and I don’t understand why.

“As far as the central committee is concerned, we are very happy with the negotiations that have taken place and we look forward to working more closely with the RBL.

“We have complete control of our money as we did in the past.”

She stressed the organisation would be retaining its national status, standards and administering its own schemes and money.

As of the end of September, 616 women’s section branches were in action, Ms Humphry said. They had until December 31 to renew their membership subscriptions, and she said 519 had done so.

The Women’s Section was formed as a separate body to the RBL in 1921 to safeguard the interests of the widows, wives and children of men who served in the First World War.

An RBL spokesperson said: “As set out in proposals earlier this year, it remains vitally important to integrate The Royal British Legion Women’s Section into the main body of the organisation to comply with charity regulation and governance arrangements.

“Following discussions in June 2016, which took into consideration feedback from the 2016 Annual Conferences of both the Women’s Section and the Legion membership, a joint team representing the Legion and the Women’s Section has been formed to develop a plan for integration.”