Award Winning Local Branch Celebrates 85 Years

The 85 year old Stoke Gifford Branch of the Royal British Legion is holding a fundraising concert for the Legion’s Poppy Appeal/Welfare Fund featuring the ever popular Westerly Showband.
The concert is on Saturday 23rd February 2013, in the Church Rooms, Stoke Gifford, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets paid for in advance are £5; at the door- £6. Please contact Branch President Brian Hewitt MBE on 01454 775632.

The Concert is part of a series of fundraising activities organised by the branch as part of their “Team85” 85th Anniversary celebrations. Branch poppy Appeal Organiser John Moloney has set a target of raising £40,000 for the the 2012/13 Poppy Appeal. Matthew Moran, who two years ago did a sponsored cycle ride fronm Land’s End to John O’Groats with his son Fraser in 2011, raising about £2,500 for the Poppy Appeal, is planning another sponsored cycle ride for the Appeal later this year.

The Band are performing for free, with printing donated by printers EPC Direct, and use of the Church rooms have been donated by St Micheal’s Church, Stoke Gifford. All proceeds will go to the Legion’s Poppy Appeal/Welfare Fund to help fund the legion’s welfare work with current and ex military personnel and their families.

The Branch is launching its Team85 Logo designed by Cardiff University Student Charlotte Husher, daughter of a branch member and welfare worker Nick Husher.

The branch, only seven (7) years younger than the legion nationally, is also celebrating winning the RBL Gloucestershire County’s Marlin Cup for most efficient small branch for the second year running, the Cup was awarded at the RBL Gloucestershire County Conference in January 2013.

Branch Chairman Hilary Bloor said – “This year Stoke Gifford Branch celebrates its 85th year of existance and as such our Poppy Appeals Co-ordinator John Moloney has set the challenge to raise £40,OOO within the year, for the Poppy Appeal. So, in addition to promoting our 85th logo on letter headings and posters, we are immensely proud to announce our forthcoming band concert, courtesy of Westerleigh Band. On display will be the stunning mosaic poppy design by Felicity Ball of Just Mosaics who has donated it to raise funds for the Poppy Appeal. Throughout the year, we campaign to raise more funds for the work of the British Legion, in providing welfare for those in need.”

Chair of Welfare Terry Webber said “The Poppy Appeal will bring us the vital cash we need to help ex service personnel and their families, and current members of the services, to provide the help they require. The welfare work and the need are growing”.

Branch President, Brian Hewitt MBE enthusiastically told us “We’ve done it again! Congratulations to all Members of the STOKE GIFFORD Branch, Gloucestershire County of the Royal British Legion, winning the Marlin Cup, for the second year, awarded for the most efficient small (under 71 members) branch in the county. Local public support is brilliant and we are very grateful and proud to work with you. Your generosity has enabled our Branch to pay into the Legion’s Welfare Fund a total of £118,500 in under the last four years, a tremendous amount of money, thank you most sincerely. The Royal British Legion can use every ‘penny’ we give them. EVERY WEEK the ‘mind bending’ total of £1.7 million is paid out to those in need, in all sorts of ways, to those Military Serving, the Ex-Service, plus all their dependants. With 5,000 Service people about to be made redundant our Welfare payments will continue to rise. ”

The Stoke Gifford branch have a strong team of five welfare workers who carry out casework over a wide area. If you or someone you know needs support from the Legion please contact Stoke Gifford’s Terry Webber on 07905 905388.

Nationally the RBL distributes £1.7million of help EVERY WEEK to current and ex-service personnel and their families.

photo shows donated Mosaic featuring Branch Popy Appeal Organiser John Moloney, left; Designer Felicity Ball of Just Mosaics; SG Branch President Brian Hewitt MBE, right.

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