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.

Mark McKenzie

Mark is a presenter and producer for British Forces Broadcasting Service radio in Scotland, and has worked tirelessly in support of Poppyscotland over the past 11 years. He has been instrumental in the growth of Edinburgh Poppy Day, securing performers and equipment and hosting a live global broadcast. His impactful monthly radio features also spread awareness of Poppyscotland’s welfare and fundraising work, bringing it to life for the Armed Forces community.

CBS Marketing

The Coventry Building Society Marketing team plays a vital role in ensuring the contribution of the Armed Forces community is not forgotten by the public, supporting with innovative national marketing campaigns each year. In 2020, this focused on veteran and Coventry Poppy Appeal volunteer Derrick Rex and allowing him to continue ‘collecting’ despite shielding. Supporters could buy poppies in branches, while CBS posters, press and social media promoted QR codes and the RBL’s donation links.

Ben Symonds

Ben has been a member of Fressingfield and District Branch in Suffolk for 20 years. His enthusiasm and ability to motivate others have injected dynamism into the Poppy Appeal, bringing together the rural community to raise impressive totals. For Remembrance, he has encouraged greater collaboration between local churches and participation by different organisations. This has led to increased turnout every year at the service and war memorial ceremony, promoting village unity for a common purpose.

Annette Dando

Annette is one of the original architects and organisers of London Poppy Day. She supported British Army Station Commanders and helped the RBL navigate Ministry of Defence processes. She has been instrumental in recruiting service personnel as Collectors, many of whom have returned year after year, and has been an invaluable champion for the RBL, supporting and advocating for the charity’s cause across the Armed Forces and establishing strategically beneficial relationships.

Stephen Doyle

Machynlleth Branch member Stephen has been particularly proactive during the Covid-19 crisis, working with other members of the Branch Community Support team. He has also made it his responsibility to buy presents at Christmas suitable for all age groups, including babies, children and older people, so those who cannot afford to buy gifts of their own have something to give.

Barrie Pheasant

Barrie has served as Deputy Secretary, Social Secretary, Treasurer and Chairman since he joined the Whitwell and District Branch in Hertfordshire in 1985, and has been instrumental in keeping things going through good times and bad. As well as running the local Poppy Appeal, Barrie has organised many social and fundraising events, including dinner dances and more recently, lunches. These occasions have proved particularly valuable to elderly members and raise around £700 each time.

Lynn Lovell

Weston-super-Mare Branch member Lynn has made significant contributions to fundraising and public awareness of the RBL. Her hugely successful weekly Weston Bike Nights have raised more than £120,000 to date and led to a Pride of Britain Awards nomination. She also coordinates RBL fundraising at Weston Helicopter Museum and Carnival Nights, and arranged a highly publicised memorial that planted 415 crosses for locals who served and lost their lives in the First World War.

Roberta Gore

Roberta acts as ‘right-hand woman’ for her husband Jim, who took over as Poppy Appeal Organiser for Bangor District in Northern Ireland in 2015. Since then, its income has continued to increase; it has raised more than £310,000 to date. Roberta is as dedicated, organised and hardworking as her husband, and ably assists him to ensure that fundraising is maximised every year.

Ty Harrison

Regional Outreach Officer Ty has shown exceptional dedication in his work with homeless and vulnerable veterans in Wales, setting up support groups and initiatives to help those who are struggling to improve their situations. As a veteran himself, he uses his experiences to enhance his understanding and works with local authorities, mental-health providers and third-sector organisations to provide the best support to those in need.

Sharon Turton

Sharon is Membership Support Officer for South East Midlands, and in 2020, she began delivering online Branch Community Support training with Kevin Tobin. Together, they have now trained over 50 supporters as Telephone Buddies, and the number of branches registered for Branch Community Support has increased. Kevin and Sharon’s willingness to deliver training to Membership Support Officers nationally demonstrates collaborative working at its best. Sharon has also organised VE Day and VJ Day activities and arranged Christmas hampers for veterans.

Ray Dickinson

Ray has turned the Bridgwater Branch in Somerset around over the past four years, mending fractious relationships with other organisations, finding new premises, recruiting new members, developing welfare provision in the area, raising public awareness of what the RBL does and improving branch financial control and planning. There are many former services personnel in the area, which is recognised for its social deprivation – Ray is tackling this, supporting others and taking them with him.

Mike Jones

Mike is County Poppy Appeal Coordinator for SE Wales and Gwent and works hard to keep the RBL in the public eye. He is adept at liaising with other organisations, landowners, emergency services and the media in organising launch parades and events every year. He was instrumental in setting up the Great Gwent Poppy Run, and has also undertaken much fundraising himself, including mountain climbs, the Inca Trail and the London Marathon.

Claire Nott

Claire has been volunteering as a Caseworker for the London Area Office since 2016. During that time, she has distinguished herself with her conscientious, polite and caring attitude towards clients in need, and supports them emotionally as well as practically. She often takes on clients at short notice when they are in crisis. She is also an enthusiastic participant in Pop In events and promotional campaigns, including helping out at City Giving Day.

Sarah Abbotson

Sarah, Case Officer for Merseyside & Cheshire, offers vital support to those in need. She assisted a foreign national who came to the RBL with no money and nowhere to live, working with internal stakeholders as well as housing providers, interpreters and the Home Office to achieve a successful outcome. In another case, she provided support to a veteran with dementia and chronic pain, who now has the equipment he needs to remain living independently at home.

Bill Durrant

Bill has been a member of Wisbech Branch in Cambridgeshire since 1985 and in that time, he has raised thousands for the Poppy Appeal and has held just about every office. He ensures the traditions and aims of the RBL are always observed, and his contribution to the branch has been exceptional – he and his wife Shirley put comradeship first and foremost, motivating members, looking after their wellbeing and offering support and guidance whenever needed.

Giovanna Di Libero

During the pandemic, the RBL’s learning activities had to be updated for a virtual world, and Learning and Resourcing Administrator, Giovanna made an enormous contribution to this. She developed video content on a range of topics; redesigned and redeveloped the Gustav intranet pages to make them more relevant; and devised a webinar booking process to enable staff to attend online learning. Meeting every task with energy and determination, she is an asset to the RBL.

Lucy Dolman

Lucy shines in her work as a Benefits, Debt and Money Advice Advisor, particularly when working with vulnerable people who are struggling with their mental health. She has been involved in some extremely complex cases; she recognises when people are struggling and has liaised with mental-health support teams and case officers to ensure they get the help they need. Lucy is dedicated to those she works with and is an asset to the RBL.

Brian Coombs

A stalwart of the Poppy Appeal for 30 years, Brian is the main collector at London’s Charing Cross mainline station. He has always shown incredible commitment to the cause by putting in a 10-hour day for the duration, setting out his stall at 7am. He is also a great ambassador of the RBL, explaining its work to members of the public.

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Reward & Recognition