THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION SUFFOLK COUNTY NEWSLETTER February 2019 These newsletters will be published every other month, along side the occasional flyers with specific information. They will be sent to the branch secretary, who will in turn share this with the branch members. It is acceptable to put this newsletter on your notice boards for the wider members to read. SUFFOLK COUNTY COMMITTEE 2019 ELECTED MEMBERS KEN ROWBOTTOM – COUNTY CHAIRMAN SUE VEROW- COUNTY VICE CHAIRMAN APPOINTED MEMBERS TBA Vacant post North West … Newmarket, Country Treasurer ….David Land Exning, Mildenhall, Brandon, Lakenheath County Parade Marshall…..Bruce Firth Clark Norman Plumpton North West…. Hopton, Stanton, Ixworth, Bury St Edmunds, Haughley, County Recruitment Officers….Alan & Jane Bacton Brockbank Alf Bloomfield North East …… Framlingham, County Training Officer ...Brian Ives supported by Debenham, Stradbroke, Fressingfield, ACT Denis Bloomfield Halesworth, Wenhaston County Youth Officer...Carolyn(Caz) Cockcroft Tony Dawes North East…… Southwold, Wrentham, Beccles, Bungay, Lowestoft County BCS Representative….Alan Brockbank Mark Brennan South West….. Felsham & County Fundraisers – all County Committee members Gedding, Stowmarket ,Needham Market, County P R Officer….Ken Rowbottom Hadleigh, Nayland, East Bergholt County Auditor...Julie Penny Alan Brockbank South West…...Lavenham,Long Melford, Kedington, County Conference Committee.. Haverhill, Sudbury, Bures Chairman- Sue Verow. Rick Grant South East….. Holbrook, Shotley, Ipswich, Kesgrave, Witnesham, Woodbridge Secretary- Bruce Firth-Clark. Bruce Firth-Clark South East….. Felixstowe, Alf Bloomfield, Rick Grant – from floor Denis Wickham Market, Snape, Saxmundham, Bloomfield, Brian Bartrum, Michael Kinsey, Leiston Contact details can be seen in the County Handbook located with you branch secretary. In the autumn of 2018, the Suffolk County Chairman, Vice Chairman and Sandra (MSO) managed to visit 23 branches, some during their AGM’s. Their plans are to visit all the remaining 24 branches during 2019. Please let you area reps know when your meetings and AGM’s are and we can get their visit booked into their diaries. Suffolk County Conference January 26th 2019 2021 Suffolk wants to celebrate 100 years of the A resounding success and very many thanks Suffolk RBL all the conference committee, county committee, and all who made the day possible. As many of you heard at our conference Jamie Our speakers were tremendous and very worth Lowther -Pinkerton(JLP) County President wants to while. They included Anthony Baines RBL pull together a county wide celebration and as such Operations Manager, Kate Green RBL Area is looking for your ideas. Please will you help! Manager, Andy Thomson from ITV Anglia, Talk through your ideas with branch members, you Graham Sage RBL Riders Suffolk and Jim area rep, the county chairmen, county vice Brown Suffolk Armed Forces Covenant. There were numerous table top displays including chairman and then pass the information onto Branch Community Support and Drop in Sandra who will be happy to pass on to JLP Lowestoft branch, Suffolk Trading Standards and the Suffolk Poppy Appeal/fundraising. We Suffolk County Funding were entertained at lunch time by a superb Jazz band...The Wednesday men and the food As you will have heard that Suffolk RBL was not provided by Kelly and her team from granted any funds from RBL Head Quarters to run Stowmarket RBL Club. the county. County committee members are fund raising to raise funds….so far they are doing well. We will shortly be sending out a conference If any branches would like to donate any funds to questionnaire… please fill it in and return it as it the county we would be very grateful…..please will help with our plans for next years contact Sandra… Thank you conference which will be held on Saturday 1st February 2020 at Needham Market Community As we have said we need to fund raise …..We Centre. Any thoughts that you have on table need to collect soft toys, children’s books and tops, speakers etc please include in you games ..all in good condition… please let your rep questionnaire response….Thank you know who will be happy to get them over to Sandra Suffolk Training Branch Community Support As you will be all aware the Suffolk county We still need more branches to register for this. At training team have been working hard to get the moment we have 33 branches that have NOT more training sessions across the county. So far registered. We need to show the RBL what we are we have had BCS/365 and GDPR...more are doing in Suffolk to support our veterans… and we being planned. know we all do such a lot. ...so lets share it with our head office via BCS. Other courses include treasurers, Lomas, branch management, county management. As This is nothing new. This is what branches have well as specific courses...e.g Independent been doing for 97 years now. The only thing is Examiners courses. We are trying to arrange a now we need to record that we do it and show how branch parade marshals course, please forward some of our money is spent names to Brian Ives so that it can be confirmed with dates and venue. So if your Standard bearer goes out to funerals, you go visit someone at home or in hospital. You Venues are also be sought so if you have any talk to someone on the phone that needs some thoughts on a location with WiFi, please let company or you run an event out in the community Brian Ives know. – we need to let people know Planned training dates and venues are located Do you need help to get this set up, or just to do on the County Calendar as issued by MSO. your recording on Office 365? Please have a chat with Alan Brockbank who will be happy to help. RBL CHARITY MONEY – branches have asked about Succession Planning giving donations to other charities. Money raised under a charity number must be spent in accordance with the During 2018 the Suffolk County Committee worked hard to look in detail at areas of Suffolk objectives of that charity number. Currently, we can RBL that needs to provide succession plan to fill donate to the Poppy Appeal, RBL Care homes and the positions in the county as well as branches. National Memorial Arboretum as these all sit under the same charity number. The end of year accounts forms We are looking to develop the role of shows exactly where money can be given. treasurer what this space for more news. We are also looking to further develop If another charity wishes to receive money from TRBL, the county/branch recruitment practices then they can apply through the External Grant System. and again we are looking for people to join this” happy band of pilgrims”. The application is looked at by a HQ committee and grants approved or not. We will be able to provide training, guidance, mentors and help were it may be needed. If you donate Legion money outside of the Legions objectives, you will be expected to pay it back. We are suggesting that branches also look at training up potential officers to take over when RAISING MONEY others retire...if you need help with this please All monies raised under the Legion charity number must contact Sandra, Sue or Ken who will be happy to be banked under that charity number to be spent in discuss. accordance with the Rules and Regs of that charity number. You cannot go out with Legion branded equipment and items, then put it into a different bank The countySUFFOLK committee POPPY are currentl APPEALy inviting TOTAL branch chairman's to the county committee account to your branch RBL account. You can raise money for the Poppy Appeal, but do advertise exactly meetings£774,453.20 as observers toas see at how 9 Feb it works. 2019 If you what it is being raised for and let your branch know that want to come along please let Sandra know and it will be arranged. this is where the money is going. NATIONAL POPPY APPEAL TOTAL CLAIMING EXPENSES AT SAME DATE You are entitled to claim any expenses you incur when £44,132,921.14 undertaking branch business. This includes car mileage allowance – currently 45p per mile – price is governed Which are both up on this time last by HMRC and covers petrol and wear and tear. All claims must be on the correct volunteer expense form and year signed off by the Branch Chairman before handing over to Branch Treasurer to pay. All events for which mileage WELL DONE EVERYONE is claimed must be minuted. All purchases must be confirmed with receipts attached to the form. DO YOU WANT TO RECEIVE THIS NEWSLETTER VIA YOUR E- MAIL? – THEN PLEASE INFORM [email protected] 01473 784618 Any information to be included for the next newsletter, please contact Sue Verow. IF YOU WISH THIS NEWSLETTER IN LARGE TEXT OR CLEARER TEXT FORMAT, Please contact the MSO .