90TH ANNIVERSARY
The following are events planned to Greater Manchester celebrate the Royal Bri sh Legion 90th County Newsle er Anniversary in Greater Manchester County.
17th July 2011 July Edi on 2011 Annual County Service—Manchester Cathedral
16th September 2011
Music Concert— Queens Division Band Manchester Cathedral 30th October 2011 Riders Branch Service and Greater Manchester County Poppy Appeal Launch followed by Halloween Party at Booth- stown RBL Club. 30th October/12th November 2011 Poppy Appeal 13th November 2011 Remembrance Sunday 27th November 2011 Proposed ‘Night to Remember’ and Carol Service at the Monastery, Gorton, Manchester
For further details please contact County Office: 835-2611
To celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the Royal Bri sh Legion the Poppy Appeal will run from the 1st October 2010 - 31st De- cember 2011 a 15 month year in which the Legion would like to try and raise £90 million for the Poppy Appeal, details of varies events around the country will be circulated. Interes ng Stories City of Salford Royal Bri sh Legion If any member would like to have an interes ng story or poem published This year we at the City of Salford Branch are celebra ng our 90th Anni- please send it to the County Secretary for the next newsle er, as all sto- versary on Sunday 24th July 2011. ries will be included. Photos can also be included if you so wish, it is up The parade will leave the RBL at 12.30 for a service at St Clements to you to make the newsle er more interes ng so please send in your Church at 13.00, followed by a buffet and a concert at the RBL Club. stories for the next newsle er.
We like to extend our invita on for you to be our guest. Any forthcoming events, please let us know so we
can circulate the details to all members in the County
Royal Signals Associa on (New Branch) Standard Bearers Training Will be mee ng at Denton Social Club, Grosvenor Road, Denton, Man- chester. Dates are being formulated to run another Standard Bearers Course for both Cadets and For further informa on dates of mee ngs please contact Mr Derek Fish- Branch Standard Bearers. The loca ons are in er on 0161-330-0361. Bury on a Tuesday night and Ashton on a Thurs- day night If your Branch would like to affiliate to POPPY TRAVEL a Cadet Unit then Contact the County Youth For those of you who were at the Royal Bri sh Legion Annual Confer- Officer below ence we hope you found it interes ng and informa ve. Although we Telephone David Brown County Youth Officer managed to speak to many of you who a ended, we wanted to take this opportunity to write to you all and let you know the ways in which Pop- TRAINING DATES Any Ex Royal Ulster py Travel can help you as branches. Constabulary GC inter- ested in forming an Asso- Is there any courses that as members ciation or indeed anyone Journey's of Remembrance you feel you need, please contact the who feels would like to
County Training Officer as courses can join the Association Our tours are now being operated by Leger Holidays, but please be as- be delivered locally: please contact sured that Poppy Travel are s ll devising the i neraries, providing the Miss Karen Brooks on 07935312349 David Brown on support group and organising the Remembrance aspects of the tours, so 07745514939 or email our usual high standards will be maintained. We have also introduced a [email protected] bursary scheme to provide financial assistance or those with rela ves in the areas in which we visit on our Journeys of Remembrance. To order a Events and Adver sements brochure please call Leger Holidays on 0844 686 2443 or visit: Swinton RBL www.poppy-travel.com Tuesday Evening—Women’s Sec on Bingo Night commencing 9.00pm. Tailor Made Journey's of Remembrance City of Salford RBL Every Saturday and Sunday night—live ar sts’ Bingo plus Play your Cards If you wish to travel as a group and create your own i nerary we can Right make the arrangements for you. You tell us where and when you want Polly’s Prize Bingo every Thursday a ernoon 2.00pm—All welcome to go, and we can tailor make the tour, providing guides, medics and City of Salford RBL Club have now got a web site were the func on room standard bearers as required. If you have veterans who qualify for He- can be hired directly by filling the online form roes Return grants, why not base your tour around those areas? Call us h p://www.salford-rbl.org.uk/ to discuss your requirements or for a no obliga on quote on 01622 716 729.
Tours for Schools & Young People
WEB SITE Poppy Travel for Schools & Young People offer bursary assisted guided educa onal tours for schools, cadets, and informal educa on groups to We now have a Greater Manchester County Web Page— sites of historical and commemora ve importance both in the UK and Mr David Brown is our Web Master. If any Branch has overseas. The tours support schools and young people as they start to informa on, photographs or anything of interest please forward to understand and par cipate in Remembrance, and learn about people County Office. The website address is whose lives are affected by conflict. Working with The Royal Bri sh Le- h p://www.bri shlegion.org.uk/coun es/greater-manchester gion's Learning Programme, i neraries are designed to reflect the aims or the other website is and interests of the group. All tours meet the needs of the Na onal cur- h p://www.greatermanchester-bri shlegion.org.uk/ riculum.
For more informa on call the Schools team on 0845 602 2482 or visit: ROYAL MARINES www.poppytravelschools.org.uk Former Royal Marines are invited to join the Manchester & If you would like more informa on on any of the above, please do not Salford Branch of the Royal Marines Associa on. They hold their hesitate to contact Poppy Travel in 01622 716 729 mee ng on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 19.30 hrs at the TA Centre, 215 Upper Chorlton Road, Whalley Range, Manchester M16 0BH, telephone number 0161-862-9220. This Barracks is jstevens@bri shlegion.org.uk www.poppytravel.org.uk also home to The Manchester Detachment of the Royal Marines Reserve Merseyside, Heavy Weapons. Poppy Travel, RBL Village, AYLESFORD, Kent, ME20 7NX The nearest Metro sta on is Trafford Bar on the Altrincham Line. For further informa on please contact: Mr Stan Hocking 01617479741. Direct Line: +44 (0) 1622 793190, +44 (0) 1622 716729,
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION Mr Dick Southern is the County Principle Recruitment Officer (CPRO) who desperately needs people who are willing to assist with recruit- ment. We have an impressive Royal Bri sh Legion Marquee which can be used for events in your local area. Please contact County Office if your Branch has Members who would like to a end a RA Course or would like to use the Marquee. Four new members were recruited at Gorton Monastery open day and with two new County Recrui ng Officers, this can only be added to.
During Annual Conference, following the request of several delegates, the Na onal Chairman agreed to distribute the a ached poem which was read out by the Dominion President of the Royal Canadian Legion.
“Who is the Unknown Soldier?”
He is the one that led the way so the general could make it home; She is the one who saved the child and was left to die alone.
His dreams were cut off by his untimely death; Her innocence shattered by her last shallow breath.
He is the voice that echoes our pride; She is the eyes, that for our freedom, cried.
He is the rain that waters our souls; She is the river holding secrets untold.
He’s in the wave crashing Normandy’s shore; She’s on the wind over Dieppe once more. www.heroespastandpresent.org.uk
th He’s in the song The Royal British Legion 90 Anniversary that Passchendaele sang; She’s in the bell MUSICAL CONCERT from which freedom rang.
Manchester Cathedral His death was a pledge prayers cannot suffice; Friday 16th September 2011 Her life, a gift, At the ultimate price. At 7.30pm
Featuring: Leah McDonald Elrose, Saskatchewan The Minden Military Band Tyldesley Branch One Voice Community Choir 12 members of the Branch a ended a performance of WW1 poetry per- Chetham’s School of Music formed by the students of Fred L:ongworth High School on Wednesday Jon Christos 4th May. The play that followed was all about ordinary people doing extraordinary things and some of them living with the consequences of Compere: Allan Beswick their service for life. We may not be able to prevent our soldiers from being wounded but together we can help them get be er. From BBC Radio Manchester In Aid of The Royal British Legion The school band played a selec on of music appropriate to the occasion and two young girls gave soloist performances. The singing that took "Safeguarding the welfare, interests and memory of those your breath away and brought a few tears to the audience. who are serving or have served in the Armed Forces". Ticket Prices £10 & £5 The play that concluded the evening was LEST WE FORGET by K Walters which was a play originally performed for a GCSE Examina on. It ex- Available from RBL County Of ice 0161-835-2611 plores the lives of four soldiers as they return from ac ve service in Af- ghanistan. It looks at how war can effect the lives of soldiers and their families and how we ,as a society, treat ex-servicemen.
OLDHAM BRANCH Welfare News The County has a new County Welfare Advisory Committee, which has Myself and Les Berry received a cheque for £350 from the clients at been set up to help and promote the welfare within the County. It meets Stanfield House, Elling Street, Rochdale, who held a bring and buy sale monthly and is encouraging a representative from different organisations for the RBL. It was a great pleasure for them as usually they only make like TRBL to join the Committee to help improve the overall welfare for £100 but on this occasion they managed to raise treble that amount. our ex-servicemen and women.
SPECTACULAR MILITARY BAND EXTRAVAGANZA The rules for Welfare Break Centres have changed and below is the criteria to follow: At the outset it must be stressed that this service, along with all other Legion welfare services, is available to all beneficiaries and not simply Legion members. In order to As an individual or collec ve group, who have on one occasion or an- manage the demand for the limited number of places it is necessary to assess each appli- other, enjoyed the services of the Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusi- cation for a welfare break in order to ensure that places go to those most in need. Thus liers from Bury, it is my pleasure to advise you of a Fund Raising event clients must have a genuine welfare need for a break and satisfy one or more of the fol- lowing criteria to be offered a stay in a Poppy Break centre: which will take the form of a Military Band Concert. Terminal illness, long-term ill health or disability; This will take place on Saturday 29th October 2011 in the Castle Ar- Recovering from recent surgery or hospitalisation (however, please note that moury TA Centre at Bury and commence at 7.30pm. The cost of the Poppy Break centres are not convalescence centres); ckets will be £10.00. You will be entertained on this auspicious occa- Bereavement of spouse, partner or other close family member; Suffering from a physical or mental trauma; sion by the Regular Army Heavy Cavalry and Cambria Band who are Living in isolation; and/or based at Ca erick in North Yorkshire and our very own Volunteer Band Has sustained or long-term caring responsibilities. of The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (Lancashire), together with our fa- mous Corps of Drums. There is also a financial assessment for those applying for a stay in a Poppy Break Cen- tre. Clients must be on a means tested benefit or tax credit to qualify. Means tested Colonel Brian Gorski MBE, Chairman of the Board of Directors, is most benefits and tax credits are: anxious that this event is well supported to maximise funding for our Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (replacing Incapacity Bene- Museum, hence this early no ce. I would be most grateful if you would fit (IB), although some clients will still be receiving IB, if claims were accepted make an early entry in your 2011 diary of this special event. before 27 October 2008); Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) Income Support (IS) NATIONAL STANDARDS BEARERS COMPETITIONS Pension Credit (PC) Congratula ons go to John Thornhill who won the Housing benefit (HB) (council accommodation or social landlords) or Local Na onal Youth Standard Bearers compe on in Housing Allowance (LHA) (private landlords) No ngham early in April and also congratula ons to Social fund payments David Brown who became the Deputy Na onal Child Tax Credit; and Working Tax Credit. Standard Bearer in May, both will be carrying the their Na onal Standards at the Albert Hall in London It should be noted that clients are not automatically excluded if they are not in receipt of at the Fes val of Remembrance. a means tested benefit. In such cases a full financial assessment will be made by the county office using the same criteria as for any Immediate Needs Grant. Clearly there are individuals who are disappointed at the decisions made by county of- fices but it is hoped that with the explanation above all will understand the present situa-