The Royal British Legion Our Mission and Purpose
Our Mission: We are the No.1 provider of welfare, comradeship, representation and Remembrance for the Armed Forces community.
Our Purpose: We stand shoulder to shoulder with all who Serve Welfare: The Heart of the Legion
Our interventions answer 160,000 calls for help a year
Our welfare spend is £72m a year, or £200,000 a day
We have directly helped 16,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and their families
Defence Recovery Capability will receive £50m to help wounded, injured and long-term sick
A free, Independent Inquest Advice Service for Armed Forces bereaved Welfare: The Heart of the Legion
In its first six months, “Be the Boss” registered 500 recent Service leavers to help them set up their own business
Our Benefits and Money Advice service helped write off £15m in debt and claim £6m in benefits
Armed Forces Compensation Scheme improvements added £20m to most seriously injured
We represent one-third of claims made by Armed Forces wounded in Afghanistan Welfare: The Heart of the Legion
Our 3,500 volunteer caseworkers paid 25,000 home visits
5,000 short breaks for the elderly, 1,400 Family and Adventure breaks for children in need, plus holiday breaks for bereaved family members
3,500 provided with aids to daily living worth £5.2m; a further 11,230 given immediate aid worth £6.1m
Handy vans helped 2,130 homes with nearly 12,000 small jobs to help with independent living Partners in Recovery
The Royal British Legion is giving £50million towards the recovery of Armed Forces wounded, injured and long-term sick
Four Personnel Recovery Centres will be built by Help for Heroes and operated by The Royal British Legion in partnership with the British Army
Will benefit personnel of all Services
The Legion will also create, equip and operate The Royal British Legion Battle Back Centre for adaptive sport and adventurous training Direct Care and External Grants
The Legion provides direct, practical and immediate welfare relief. Everyone in Service, or who has ever Served, and their families are eligible for our support
We also provide external grants to many Service charities, such as £1.8 million for Combat Stress and £2.6 million for St. Dunstan’s
New services this year: Be The Boss
Independent Inquest Advice Service Successful Campaigns
The Royal British Legion is the most effective campaigning charity in the UK, according to an independent survey of MPs
Our 'Time To Do Your Bit' campaign is Number 1 for MP awareness and support
We have campaigned successfully for higher compensation for the injured and better welfare conditions for all Service families Celebrating 90 Years’ Service
The Royal British Legion was formed on 15th May 1921, making this our 90th continuous year of service
We have many celebrations planned, from concerts in cathedrals across the nation to a Great Poppy Party Weekend in June
There will also be exciting Combined Services sports, a bicycle rally from Land’s End to John O’Groats, and a special service in Westminster Abbey
For more information, visit www.britishlegion.org.uk/about- us/90th-anniversary A Strong, Trusted Brand
Although the 26th charity in revenue, we are the second in terms of brand reputation, the 7th most trusted and the 4th largest in terms of news
The Legion is rebranding itself as a contemporary Armed Forces charity through tradition, new and social media
We enjoy celebrity engagement from sport (Premiership League plus others); music (Radiohead, The Saturdays, Iron Maiden); film and television (X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, Eastenders); plus individuals as varied as Stephen Fry, David Tennant, Jack Dee, Jimmy Carr, and Paul O’Grady Members and Volunteers
The Royal British Legion enjoys the support of more than 1 million members, donors and volunteers caseworkers and fundraisers
Members and volunteers are organised through 2,600 branches in the UK
Supporters are also engaged through Twitter and Facebook, with 1.8 million followers
Whether sharing memories through a journey of Remembrance or joining hands on a Fundraising adventure, our supporter base provides comradeship opportunities for all ages Fundraising and Poppy Appeal
The Royal British Legion raises about half of the funds it needs for its Welfare work through the Poppy Appeal
The 2010 Poppy Appeal had a target of £36m and the poppy was worn by 44m people
It was launched by girl group The Saturdays at Colchester Garrison, where 16 Air Assault Bde had recently deployed to Afghanistan
Fundraising goes on year-round, through events such as Pedal to Paris and our popular Poppy Lottery Remembrance and Learning
As Custodian of Remembrance, the Legion is responsible for such national observances as the Festival of Remembrance and the Cenotaph march past
We also hold the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, home to the Armed Forces Memorial to post-war Remembrance
Our Silence in the Square from Trafalgar Square is webcast to schoolchildren around the world
Remembrance forms a central part of our mission to educate young people on the contemporary relevance of sacrifice.