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  2. Governance

Elections 2025/6

RBL is recruiting four Trustees for its Board of Trustees and seven representatives for the Membership Council. These roles are vital in helping to shape the leadership of the Royal British Legion.

The nomination window is open from 1 October - 8 January 2026, with the successful candidates taking up their positions in May 2026 at the close of Annual Conference.

Please find below the election packs for the roles of Trustee and Membership Council Representatives. An electronic or hard copy of these packs has been shared with all Branches.

The packs contain the details of the elections process and instructions for Branches on how to complete and submit nominations.

Trustee Pack

Download Pack

Membership Council Representative Pack

Download Pack

Election Pack Appendices

Election Pack Membership Council Appendix C 

Election Pack Membership Council Appendix D

Election Pack Trustees Appendix C 

Election Pack Trustees Appendix D 

 

2025  
1 October Nominations Window Opens
23 October Briefing day for interested parties*
8 December Q&A session for interested parties*
2026  
8 January – 5pm Deadline for nominations from Branches to reach RBL Governance Team
22-29 January Assessment Panels take place
12 February Nominees informed whether they are being put forward for election
2 March Civica Election Services dispatch candidate booklet and ballot papers to Branches
2 March – 9 April Branches to hold Branch General Meeting to vote for preferred candidate
9 April – 5pm Deadline for completed ballot papers to reach Civica Election Services
10 April Votes counted by Civica Election Services.
Result passed to the Director General. Candidates informed of the result by telephone.
Results published to RBL Branches, Trustees, County/District Chairs, and employees on RBL website.
10 May New Trustees and MC Representatives take up position with effect from the close of Annual Conference

 

*These are not mandatory; interested parties need only attend one session. These will be held on Teams.

Briefing Session

All members interested in being considered for a role within the current election cycle are invited to join an online briefing session with a Q&A opportunity held on Thursday 23 October 2025. This will offer insight into how the roles operate and the key responsibilities and requirements. This will be recorded and made available on the RBL Elections webpage. A further online Q&A session will be held on Monday 8 December 2025.

Register here

FAQs

Can I apply for more than one position?

Yes, you can apply for more than one role. For example, a person may apply to be a Trustee, but should they not succeed they might wish to be considered for the role of Membership Council Representative. In this case, all the appropriate paperwork should be completed for each relevant role. Such individuals must also ensure that they have a Branch nomination for each role they are applying for (this may be from the same Branch). At election, the roles will be considered in the order Trustee and then Membership Council Representative.

How early can I apply?

The nominations window opens from 9am Wednesday 1 October 2025 until the 5pm, Thursday 8 January 2026. Nominations can be submitted by Branches at any time during this period. Please note that nominations must be passed at a General Branch meeting (not a Branch Committee meeting) by a simple majority prior to submission.

Why do I need a DBS check?

DBS checks will be performed for all applicants. The DBS check will allow RBL to confirm that you are not disqualified from being a Trustee. Trustee roles require an Enhanced DBS in accordance with Charity Commission guidance. Membership Council Representatives require a basic DBS in accordance with Section 4a of the Membership Handbook.

Do I need to attend the briefing days?

No, the briefing session is not mandatory. The briefing day can be attended remotely via Microsoft Office Teams or watched via the recording on the webpage. Please contact the Governance team at [email protected] to register your attendance.

How do I submit my nominations?

Nomination forms can be completed and returned via post to Haig House, 199 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1AA or scanned and emailed to [email protected]. They must be received no later than 5pm, Thursday 8 January 2026.

What happens at the assessment panel?

For Trustees, nominees will meet the panel which will include one Trustee and two independent members. Panel members will assess whether nominees meet the minimum skills and standards required to be a Trustee of the RBL.

For Membership Council Representative roles, nominees will meet the panel which will include the Membership Council Chair and an elected Trustee. Panel members will assess whether nominees meet the minimum skills and standards required to be a Membership Council Representative of the RBL.

When will I hear if I have been put forward for election?

Nominees will be informed if they are being put forward for election by 5pm, 12 February 2026.

What happens when there is only one nominee for a role?

If four or fewer nominations are received for the Trustee positions by the closing date (5pm, Thursday 8 January 2026) and provided that these nominees are assessed as meeting the minimum skills and standards required to be a Trustee of the RBL, then they shall be considered automatically elected as Trustees without the requirement for a ballot.

If only a single nomination is received for a Membership Council Representative position by the closing date (5pm, Thursday 8 January 2026) and provided that this nominee has been assessed as meeting the minimum skills and standards required to be a Membership Council Representative of the RBL, then they shall be considered automatically appointed to the Membership Council without the requirement for an election.

Branches will be informed if this is the case.

When will the election results be shared?

The results of the election will be shared no later than 5pm, Thursday 10 April 2026.

Can I apply if I already hold another role within RBL? (Club/Branch/County position)?

Trustees, and Membership Council Representatives may not hold office or a voting position at County/District or Branch level at RBL.

Why is there an assessment panel?

Since the screening process for all candidates for Trustee/National roles was introduced, we have used independent panel members to provide support with the screening of applicants for the role of Trustee. In reviewing the elections process, the Governance and Nominations Committee felt that they wanted a process which involved both current Trustees to ensure a Legion context as well as some independent views from external experts in Board recruitment. To this end, we have introduced an assessment panel involving a current Trustee and two external experts with significant trustee experience, which we believe will provide more rigour and diversity in this process. A similar process has been applied for Membership Council roles.

Are County Supported Branches (CSBs) eligible to vote and nominate candidates as part of the National elections?

Yes, all Branches are now eligible to participate in voting and nominating in these elections.

Find out more or get in touch

More information about the elections and how to nominate is available in the election packs which are available from your Branch Committee Contact

Should you have any questions, please speak with your Branch Chair or contact us at [email protected]
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