Salvo icon Alan Promoted to Glory

Alan Jessop at his retirement from collecting. Image: File

On the eve of National Volunteer Week and amid the Red Shield Appeal, iconic Salvation Army collector Alan Jessop OAM was Promoted to Glory.

Thirty-seven years ago, after moving to Canberra and joining Canberra City Temple, Alan set up a collection table at The Canberra Centre. Over the years he became an icon in the city – the man dressed in his Salvation Army uniform with a friendly smile and a bucket for collecting donations.

Alan raised more than $4 million for The Salvation Army, was named the ACT Local Hero of the Year in 2011 and had his portrait painted in 2013 to commemorate Canberra’s centenary.

In 2021, he told Salvation Army reporter Jessica Morris that it was the relationships he forged that made all that collecting worthwhile.

“I have wonderful memories of all the different people.”

Federal Member for Canberra Alicia Payne MP delivered a tribute to Alan in the House of Representatives on 27 May.

The Salvation Army Australia has posted a tribute on its Facebook page, saying: “Thank you, Alan, for your faithful service, generosity and everything you did for the Salvos, the Red Shield Appeal and Australians in need. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”

To read more about Alan, see here.