News & events
At our November meeting we were
privilaged to have with us Capt Caroline Ledlie and Capt Alan
Rodgers from Loughbrickland Girls Brigade and Boys Brigade.
They presented the branch with a cheque, the proceeds from a
concert they had organised to celebrate our 80th Anniversary.
On Saturday 26th November we
held our annual Standard bearers competition for the Baird silver
salver. An added feature this year was the Group 7 competition of
which the branch is part of.
The winners of the competitions
were,
Baird Silver salver
Mr N Espie Cookstown branch
Group
7 Miss Judith
McCabe Newry Branch
Pictures of both these events can be seen on our Photo
gallery
80 years old and still going
strong.
This year Loughbrickland branch of the
Royal British legion celebrates its 80th anniversary.The
warrant to form the branch was issued on 16th January
1931 and the first branch meeting took place on the 19th
January 1931.
The first chairman was Rev T
Martin.
At that time motorized transport was
not very plentiful and local branches of the legion where formed
all across N Ireland and the rest of the UK. The purpose was to
provide assistance to the ex service community who had not long
returned from the Great War. The modern day legion still carries on
that work today and with recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan
the need for the work of the legion will continue for many years to
come.
Each branch has it's own area of
responsibility regarding the annual collection for the poppy
appeal, In 1936 loughbrickland branch raised £61 6s 8d in 2009 that
figure was £7454.13p.
This is all made possible by a
dedicated band of volunteers who in all weathers travel the roads
to make it possible, and to them we owe a great debt of gratitude,
soon they will be on the move for the 2011 appeal, like wise
without the generosity of the population this would not be
possible, so from the branch a big thank you and we look forward to
your continued support. The branch also has a social side to it,
each year we have a dinner for our poppy collectors and various
other activities, treasure hunts barbeques , table quiz's and for
the past ten years we have run a very successful standard bearers
competition with competitors from across the province and
even from Dublin.
If you would like more information on
the branch please visit us at
www.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/loughbrickland
