Membership fee increase FAQs (frequently asked questions)
A Motion to increase membership fees was passed at Annual Conference 2024. As a result, membership fees will increase by £2 a year from 4th September 2024, with a further £2 increase every September for five (5) years.
Please find below some FAQs about the upcoming increase to membership fees.
Q1. By how much is the membership fee going up?
A. The fee will increase by £2, raising the fee from £18 to £20 from 4th September 2024.
As per the Motion passed at Annual Conference, the membership fee will increase by a further £2 a year through to 2028 as follows:
- From 4 September 2024 - £20 per year
- From 4 September 2025 - £22 per year
- From 4 September 2026 - £24 per year
- From 4 September 2027 - £26 per year
- From 4 September 2028 - £28 per year
Q2. I have heard the increase is meant to be from October so why is it starting in September?
A. To provide a good member renewal experience, it is critical that we do this work well and get it right. Therefore, we will closely monitor a smaller number of members who renew in September to ensure the process runs smoothly ahead of October, when most of our members renew.
The Board of Trustees discussed the implementation date at their post-Conference meeting and agreed that the date change from October to September was the best option to ensure the process was well tested and ensured a good renewal experience.
Q3. Will new members joining before 4th September 2024 pay £18 or £20?
Q4. I am already charged more than the current £18 a year – why is this?
A. RBL (Royal British Legion) branches may charge their members a branch administration fee or a joining fee to support their administrative costs associated with engaging and recruiting members.
These branch fees are collected alongside the membership fee and returned to the branch.
Q5. When did the membership fee last increase, and by how much?
Q6. What happens after 2028?
Q7. Will you remind me of any increases each year?
Q8. What was the Motion passed at Annual Conference?
Q9. How will I know the payment has been taken from my account?
Q10. Do I need to do anything or change my direct debit mandate?
Q11. Who do I contact if I have any queries about my membership?
A. Please contact [email protected] for any queries regarding your membership, including fees. Or contact us on:
UK: 0800 307 7773 (free);
Republic of Ireland: 1800 911 936 (free);
Overseas: +44 (0)207 191 1091 (full rate).
Q12. Who do I contact if I am in financial hardship?
A. At this time we don’t have the availability for members to pay for their membership over a period of time, in instalments. Members who also qualify as beneficiaries however, can contact our Welfare team on 0808 802 8080
Q13. If I’m struggling to pay my membership fee who do I contact?
Q14. Where does my membership fee go?
A. The membership fee increase will support the delivery of RBL membership in a variety of ways. Already there is work underway to enhance the membership experience, to enable us to attract the next generation of members and prepare us for a future audience.
Membership fees also go towards the delivery of events such as Annual Conference and Membership Council meetings, and support the membership governance structure through, for example, training, meetings, seminars, and the election process, to ensure that branches and counties are supported. They also go towards directly keeping our members informed, via communications such as Legion magazine, the member eNewsletter, and other channels. We also provide resource and expertise to support and engage with our branches, so they are fulfilling their purpose out in their local communities, as well as compliant which enables RBL to fulfil its charitable regulatory obligations.
Motion passed at Annual Conference, Saturday 10th May 2024.
| Proposer | Membership Council |
| Motion 7 | Membership Council calls upon the members to support an increase in the annual membership fee. To apply an incremental increase of £2 each year for the next 5 years.
This would mean members paying for the annual membership fee:
|
| Reason for inclusion |
At Annual Conference 2011 a Motion was passed to increase subscription fees by £1 every year for the following 6 years, which was applied and resulted in the last increase in 2016 where £16 moved to £17; 5 years later that £17 increased to £18 in 2021; there has been no further increase since then.
Sadley, membership numbers have been in decline for over 10 years with little signs of that changing. This means the Membership General Fund income is reducing each year.
Costs are increasing due to inflationary pressures and cost of living crisis. We are also drawing on a greater proportion of funds so we can help fix and improve branch compliance and members’ overall experience. This membership spend will need to continue for several years.
This means the Membership General Fund will move into a deficit position mid 2024/2025 financial year. We consider that doing nothing is not an option, we need to act now to ensure we put ourselves in a stronger financial position going forwards. Without the fee increase we will need to significantly reduce the services we currently provide to members.
Valuable work has been carried out working with members, staff and volunteers on the Future of Membership programme. We will however need funds to invest in the new infrastructure and membership tools to bring about a lighter touch individual membership and a new digital experience, thereby encouraging in the next generation of new members. We also want to invest in leadership training for our current members holding senior office roles as well as those looking to take on leadership positions in the future. We will need to draw down from the Membership General Fund for these two important elements and they are not yet budgeted for. An increase in membership income will therefore help ensure these changes can be made.
By planning and having certainty in the available budget for the next 5 years we can deliver our current services to members as well as invest in our future and reverse our declining membership.
|
Motion 7 continued
| Effect if passed |
If this Motion is carried forwards, we will be in a better position to continue to deliver our current services to the membership and continue to fix and improve branch membership.
We will also be able to invest in the Future of Membership changes identified by the programme together with introducing leadership training for members. |
| Main argument |
To be able to take forward our plans we need to establish a long term sustainable financial footing for membership. This will not be fully realised until we deliver the Future of Membership programme and bring in a greater number of new joiners and improve retention rates for these new anniversary renewals.
Based on current activities, to break even in this 2023/2024 financial year members should be paying £30 annually i.e. £12 more than is currently charged. We appreciate that increasing the annual membership fee by such an amount in one go isn’t realistic nor palatable for our members and hence we are proposing to raise the membership fee by £2 a year over 5 years. With this additional income going into the Membership General Fund as set out in this Motion, together with finding other savings and efficiencies over the next 2/3 years which do not significantly impact on the delivery nor quality of the services we currently provide to members, we are all contributing to a thriving membership.
We are confident that this approach will put membership in a better financial position, enabling the changes outlined above to be delivered whilst at the same time supporting members. |
| Statement from Conference Committee |
This Motion is to be debated at Conference. |
