Reward and Recognition | Our Centenary

Since the Royal British Legion was founded in 1921, our members, staff, volunteers and partners have dedicated their time and effort to supporting the Armed Forces community and remembering their sacrifice.

To mark our 100^th birthday, we launched the Reward and Recognition scheme where everyone across the RBL family was invited to nominate people who deserved to be recognised for their significant contributions to our work.

The awards recognise the outstanding actions of individuals in five categories; service, collaboration, passion, excellence and valuing our people.

From the moment we launched the scheme, the nominations came flooding in and after a robust check on the quality and standard of submissions, we were left with over 400 tales of inspiration and determination from groups and individuals across the organisation, all of whom are equally deserving of recognition in our Centenary year.

Here we celebrate the contributions of our amazing RBL People who have helped to make our organisation the fantastic place that it is. Search by name or use the filters below to explore the nominees.

Alice Samuel

Alice is Secretary of Crewkerne Branch in Somerset and works hard to ensure the RBL is present in the community; she was especially proactive in moving the branch into new, highly visible, central premises. She is passionate about Branch Community Support, and as a school teaching assistant has worked with the children to produce Easter cards for Musgrove Hospital staff and VE Day cards for self-isolating members, which Alice delivered with some homemade poppy buns.

Janet Warby

RBL gold-badge holder Janet has given more than 30 years of service to the charity. She is an experienced Standard Bearer and the Secretary and Poppy Appeal Organiser of the Paris Branch. She works hard to promote the role of the RBL to both French and British communities, and uphold support for British veterans in the city. She has also been instrumental in organising all major events, including the Remembrance ceremony in Notre Dame cathedral.

Gordon Lloyd

Ludlow Branch President Gordon, is also the Poppy Appeal Organiser for both Telford and Ludlow. During his tenure, he has increased fundraising in both areas, as well as encouraging volunteers and new corporate partnerships. He also initiated the Shropshire Counting Centre, creating a process for safe and efficient Poppy Appeal cash-counting from 26 areas, amounting to some £140,000 per year. Many of his systems are now established as best practice for the RBL.

Brian Harvey

Brian stepped in at short notice in 2018 when the Sleaford Branch in Lincolnshire lost both its Poppy Appeal Organiser and Vice Chairman simultaneously. Showing great dedication, he ensured that the Poppy Appeal went ahead and did not lose impetus and liaised with the Royal Air Force bases locally to help with street collections. This was on top of his responsibilities as Branch Secretary, Standard Bearer. He continues to be serve his County on the Conference Committee.

John Andrews

Fellow Aberystwyth Branch members call John a legend for his selfless leadership and dedication to the RBL since the 1980s. He's been the lynchpin not just for his branch, but the whole area's veterans’ network. Compassionate and supportive, John has encouraged many members over the years to stand for election as well as serving himself as Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Members Secretary, Welfare Officer, Events Organiser, Remembrance Parade/Service Organiser and Remembrance Festival Organiser.

Jan Burt BEM

As Branch Secretary of the Whitwell & District Branch in Hertfordshire since 1991, Jan is the organisational force behind flourishing social events and commemorative services that are much appreciated by members. A considerable amount of her work is behind the scenes, keeping members informed, compiling spreadsheets, running raffles and preparing the village hall, but her special talent is to always find a role for volunteers, however elderly or infirm.

Leanne Marshall

Annual Conference Co-ordinator Leanne relies on her great communication skills to bring projects to fruition and has established effective relationships with other departments involved in running the Annual Conference. In 2020, the pandemic meant that Leanne had to quickly adjust to running the Conference online, the first-ever online Membership event of this scale. It achieved significant savings, and feedback from members and staff was excellent.

Sarah Kerr

As the Armed Forces Network Coordinator for Shropshire Council, Sarah has created an invaluable network of support and engagement for the Armed Forces community in this large county. Bringing together key service partners and providers, as well as enthusiastic RBL branches, she has established a range of contact points, as well as workshops – moved seamlessly online during the pandemic – to provide information and advice on accessing help, as well as social connections.

Kerry Newham

Despite a busy dual role as Advice and Information Officer/Case Officer, Kerry has taken it upon herself to help resolve any local IT issues. Since staff began working remotely in March 2020, her skills and knowledge have been invaluable, helping to keep the team online and continue to provide a good service. She has also streamlined the Case Progression system to make it more efficient and is now the Digital Champion for the Northern Area.

Jane Britton

Jane has been Acting Social Isolation Manager for 18 months, overseeing a review of the Branch Community Support programme in that time. She was enthusiastic about recognising the fantastic work branches were doing during the pandemic and this led her to develop the Covid-19 Community Response Awards, which attracted nominations from 400 branches. The success of the awards has led external organisations to approach the RBL to discuss ways of working together to combat loneliness.

Ed Kelly

Ed joined the RBL in 1982, following a 41-year career in the RAF. He is an exceptional ambassador, a committed member and has held nearly every branch post. He was the leading organiser of the Remembrance Sunday parade and service in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, and has given many talks to schools and youth organisations on the meaning of Remembrance, as well as assisting the local Air Training Corps squadron with aircraft recognition and RAF history.

Franklin Richmond

Since 2006, Franklin has been the Poppy Appeal Organiser for Devizes Branch in Wiltshire. His good relationships with the council and retail partners and organised volunteer force ensure maximum visibility for the Appeal, which raises impressive sums every year. Devizes is a former military garrison town that has a major annual Remembrance service – as well as organising dignitaries’ wreaths, Franklin has given enthusiastic school talks that have resulted in an increased youth attendance.

Lynn Green

In addition to serving as an Isleworth Branch Officer for 17 years, Lynn has represented the branch within the Isleworth 390 Group, comprising churches, schools and volunteers who've researched the stories of 390 local men who lost their lives in the First World War and are honoured on the war memorial. This has resulted in a book, increased cross-community attendance at the annual Service of Remembrance and has thrown a spotlight on the RBL's work.

Ava Pierro

Former Intranet Manager Ava, worked with IT to develop and launch the RBL’s intranet, Gustav, gathering all essential information in one place and giving staff an efficient communication channel where they can keep up to date with the latest news. She also launched Yammer on Gustav, so that teams could connect socially during the pandemic. Ava has shared her knowledge by training content managers and recording short guides on how to use the intranet.

Desiree Niezen

As Secretary, 24-year-old Desiree found new ways to help Hannover Branch members keep in touch during the pandemic, establishing online meetings and social events that have become a blueprint for activity across the country. She also set up an active Facebook page with an average reach of 700 people per post, which has gained the branch new members and alerted it to several welfare cases. She was appointed District Youth Officer in 2020.

Marina Lobanov-Rostovsky

In 2011, Marina and Rula formed The Poppy Ball, a flagship committee-led, black-tie event to raise money and boost awareness of the RBL. They skilfully brought together leading figures from the UK’s finance, PR, events, hospitality and arts worlds, encouraging them to dedicate their time and expertise for free. Over the years, the committee has expanded, gained Royal Patronage and put on a decade of unforgettable events that have raised well over £1 million.

John Stuart

While John is a long-time supporter of Renfrew’s Poppy Appeal, his work in 2020, when Covid-19 curtailed much activity, is particularly worthy of praise. He was heavily involved in the production of materials for the ‘poppy rocks’ project, which saw Renfrew Rotary Club sell garden stones painted with poppies or military badges, raising more than £5,000 for Poppyscotland. The idea boosted social-media coverage and its success was such that there are wider plans for 2021.

Izy Shaw

Armed Forces Champion Izy is committed to building fruitful relationships. Last Christmas, she and Community Fundraiser Claire Smith (dressed as elves) boarded HMS Prince of Wales with Warrant Officer Class 1 Alex Orr (dressed as Father Christmas) to deliver cards from schoolchildren. The event demonstrated the strong partnership between the RBL and the Royal Navy and was a fantastic morale boost for the ship’s company. It has since led to discussions about further opportunities for collaboration.

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Reward & Recognition