Annual Conference is a great opportunity to come together and meet fellow members, hear the latest updates and announcements, celebrate success, watch or join the debate and voting on of Motions, get answers to your questions and more.
Activities including Standard Bearer Competitions and an act of Remembrance take place over a weekend from Friday to Sunday, with the main business of conference starting on Saturday. For members who cannot attend in person, Annual Conference’s hybrid format enables you to watch the main business of Conference online.
All RBL branches, regardless of compliance, may propose Motions to Conference on RBL’s policies, rules or Royal Charter and send a delegate to Conference to vote and speak on their behalf.
Our next Annual Conference will be held 7-9 May 2027
Annual Conference 2027
Join us for Annual Conference 2027 in Telford. Whether you’re thinking about attending for the first time or are a regular attendee, this is a great opportunity to experience the comradeship of RBL membership.
What’s on?
Familiar agenda highlights will be returning, including:
- Main Conference: addresses from keynote speakers, presentation of reports and accounts for the past year and the debate and voting on of Motions.
- Membership Forum: members ask senior staff questions relating to RBL’s work and the branch and membership experience.
- Exhibition: staff from RBL teams and associated organisations exhibit to attendees. *
- National Standard Bearer Competitions: a prestigious occasion, regional winners participate in front of qualified judges. *
- Membership Awards: members and formations receive recognition for their achievements in fields such as fundraising and recruitment.
- Act of Remembrance: a cornerstone of the agenda in which members come together to remember the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces Community. *
*Not available to online attendees.
Annual Conference 2025
Annual Conference 2025 took place at the Harrogate Convention Centre in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
Check out the photos from the conference, read the summer 2025 edition of Legion magazine to read about some of the highlights, watch the highlights reel video below, or see the full recordings of the main Conference and Overseas Forum on YouTube.
National Award Categories and Winners 2026
Churchill Shield
Winner: Rider’s Branch
Downing Shield
Winner: Mary Jansen, Fallingbostel-Heide Branch
Runners-up:
2nd: Alex Fawbert, Derbyshire County
3rd: Craig Taylor, Plympton and District Branch
Ian Hamilton Cup
Winner: Waterside RBL Club, Northern Ireland
Runner-up: Kingswinford RBL Club, Staffordshire
Jellicoe Cup
Winner: Paphos Branch, Cyprus
Maurice Challenge Cup
Winner: Derbyshire County
Runners-up: Buckinghamshire County
Special recognition certificate: Suffolk County
Lister Cup
Winner: Uttoxeter Branch, Staffordshire
Runners-up: Felsham & Gedding Branch, Suffolk
Special recognition certificates:
Hopton & District Branch, Suffolk
Billinghay & District Branch, Lincolnshire
McCrae Shield
Winner: Hannover Branch, Germany
Runners-up: Paphos Branch, Cyprus
Membership Training Award
Winner: John Davies, Hampshire County
Runners-up:
2nd: Dave Brett, Germany District
3rd: Fergus Osborne, North and East Yorkshire County
4th: Stewart Hackney, South and West Yorkshire County
Hughes Trophy
Winner: North and East Yorkshire County
Runners-up
2nd: South East Wales District
3rd: Hertfordshire County
Poppy Appeal Award
Winner: Berkshire County
Runners-up
2nd: Hampshire County
3rd: Wiltshire County
Noel Rogers Trophy
Winner: Malta Branch
Runners-up
2nd: Gibraltar Branch
3rd: Ypres Branch
Lewis Shield
Winner: Elizabeth Graham-Thomas, Spain District North
Runners-up
2nd: Craig Taylor, Plympton and District Branch
3rd: Anthony Fear, Hannover Branch
Haig Cup
Winner: Skegness Branch, Lincolnshire
Runners-up
2nd: Woodbridge Branch, Suffolk
3rd: Whitchurch & Pensford Branch, Somerset
4th: Newmarket & District Branch, Suffolk
Annual Conference 2027 FAQs
Information will be updated as available.
General
Where will Annual Conference 2027 take place?
When will Annual Conference 2027 take place?
Registration
How do I know how many delegates my Branch can send to conference?
Branches with up to 300 members may send one delegate.
Branches with over 300 members can send two delegates.
Branches with over 1,000 members can send three delegates.
After that, one additional delegate is permitted for every 500 members.
When does Registration open and close?
Registration will open in January 2027.
Information will be published through our membership communication channels and on this website.
Who can attend Annual Conference?
Anyone may attend Annual Conference as a Visitor (this includes carers), but they cannot propose or second motions or vote.
Branch delegates may propose or second for motions and vote on motions.
County Delegates may speak for or against motions but may not vote.
Can children attend conference?
Please refer to our Safeguarding Policy Statement: Attendance of Children at the Annual Conference below:
In line with the Royal British Legion’s commitment to safeguarding and current UK legislation, children are only permitted to attend the Annual Conference under exceptional circumstances.
- Written permission must be obtained from the National Chair prior to the deadline for Conference registrations.
- All children attending must be accompanied and supervised at all times by a responsible adult.
- The Royal British Legion does not accept responsibility for the care, supervision, or welfare of children at any of its events.
This reflects our duty to protect children from harm and ensure their safety and is designed to support a safe and secure environment for all attendees.
From January 2026, RBL youth membership has been available for young people (12-17 years old) under two categories: Youth Standard Bearer and, for those who are part of an RBL band, Youth Musician. Young people who joined as youth members prior to January 2026 will remain youth members under the previous broader definition of youth membership until their 18th birthday, when they are eligible to join as adult members, but no new youth members will be permitted to join, unless they fall into the categories above.
Can delegates attend and vote online?
How do I register for Annual Conference?
The link for registration will be shared in our usual communications channels including Central News, the eNewsletter and via this webpage during the registration period.
After registration opens, if you need support with the process, please contact your Membership Engagement Officer (MEO) (branch secretaries and voting delegates only) or [email protected] (for all other members and visitors).
Can someone register on my behalf?
Yes.
If you need support with the registration process, please contact your Membership Engagement Officer (MEO) (for branch secretaries and voting delegates) or [email protected] (for all other members and visitors).
Once registration opens, if I register to attend in person but can’t attend, what do I do?
Whilst registration is still open, re-enter the portal from your confirmation email and click ‘Cancel Attendance’.
You are then able to re-register up until the published deadline to attend online.
If I register as a virtual attendee, how do I join on the day?
Joining instructions will be emailed to you by our streaming partner, LUMI, closer to the date of the event.
Can a branch change its voting delegate if the one registered cannot attend?
Yes.
To change the voting delegate, the Branch Secretary must delete the existing registration and create a new one. These changes must be made by the published deadlines for in-person or virtual attendance registration, depending upon the method of attendance.
If you would like to make any changes after registration closes, please contact [email protected] stating your requested changes.
What happens if I have no branch secretary to approve my registration?
Your Membership Engagement Officer will act as a branch secretary in this case.
Accommodation & Travel
What accommodation is near the venue?
To be confirmed
Can I park at the venue?
To be confirmed
Is there a recommended taxi service?
Agenda & Itinerary
When will the agenda be available?
A provisional agenda will be released eight weeks before Conference and published on this webpage. The final agenda will be shared with all registered attendees by email four weeks before Conference.
When are the National Standard Bearers Competitions?
Details will be provided in the provisional agenda.
Who will be exhibiting at Annual Conference?
Will there be an act of Remembrance?
Yes. Details will be provided in the final agenda which will be sent to all registered attendees four weeks before Conference.
What time will the registration desks be open at the venue?
To be confirmed
I need to arrange a meeting point with other attendees, can you assist?
The Membership Events team will unfortunately not be able to make personal arrangements on behalf of conference attendees.
Will there be evening entertainment at Annual Conference and, if so, when and where will it take place?
Details to be confirmed.
Finance
Who do I need to contact regarding my expenses for Annual Conference?
Mainland UK branch delegates should claim their expenses directly from their branch. Non-mainland UK and overseas branch delegates only should submit an expense form by email directly to [email protected] as soon as possible after Annual Conference. Please speak to your Branch Secretary for further guidance on expenses.
Will my branch be reimbursed for sending a voting delegate?
We provide a contribution towards the travel cost for sending a voting delegate to Annual Conference. Please note, to ensure consistency for all delegates all travel distances are calculated on a straight-line basis (“as the crow flies”).
Mainland UK branches will be automatically reimbursed a proportion of their delegate’s travel costs in to branch funds up to 12 weeks after Annual Conference, in line with the table below.
Non-mainland UK and overseas branch delegates are required to submit an expense form by email directly to [email protected] as soon as possible after Annual Conference. Travel costs will be reimbursed in line with the above table. Delegates can obtain the expense form and policy from their Membership Engagement Officer, or Branch Officers can find them on MAP.
Can my branch request financial support for sending a voting delegate?
National Awards
How can I nominate someone for an award?
Details on how to submit nominations for awards are published each year in the October Circular.
Please see your Branch or County Secretary for details or contact [email protected]
If am an award winner, will I be sent a photo of myself with my award? And when?
Those collecting awards at Annual Conference will be sent a photograph of themselves collecting the award within approximately 2 months of the event.
Compliance
All branches may submit motions to Annual Conference, regardless of compliance status.
Accessibility
Does the venue offer accessibility provision?
Catering
Which catering options will be available at Annual Conference?
To be confirmed
I have very specific dietary needs; will I be catered for?
When registering, please state your dietary requirements and the events team will share this with the venue. Please note that we cannot guarantee that individual dietary requirements will be catered for other than the requirement for common allergens to be listed on food products on sale.
Membership Forum
How do I submit questions to the Membership Forum?
Details will be shared with registered attendees prior to Conference.
As a virtual delegate will I be able to ask questions during the Membership Forum?
Yes, you will be able to ask questions via the chat function which will be available on the day.
Please note that these FAQs will be updated as information becomes available.
We will also share updates in our usual communications channels.
Standing Orders of Conference
View the Standing Orders of Conference. These have been prepared by the Conference Committee, in accordance with and supplementary to The Royal Charter and approved by the Board of Trustees.
