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.

Laura Pett

Head of Campaigns Laura has helped build the Public Affairs and Public Policy team into a high-achieving unit. She has modernised the way the RBL undertakes its advocacy work and has overseen a number of campaign wins, resulting in changes to government policy in areas such as compensation payments, data capture for proper service provision, pensions and more. She works tirelessly to collect feedback on problems facing the community and transforms this into policy that changes lives.

Cindy Palk

With her positive, can-do attitude, General Assistant Cindy is an asset to Dunkirk Memorial House. She is the first person to volunteer for any task and always commits 100%. Throughout the pandemic she has been responsible for training new staff members, ensuring that the housekeeping team’s high standards are maintained. Cindy is supportive of her colleagues and puts the residents first, liaising with other teams to ensure their needs are met.

Elaine Hopkins

Elaine, a member of Warsop, Meden Vale & District Branch, Nottinghamshire, felt community support was never more needed than in 2020. To keep spirits up among local elderly veterans, she organised a group of volunteers to source and deliver activity packs, collaborated with another charity and a supermarket to provide Remembrance afternoon teas and also arranged delivery of Christmas parcels. This made the veterans feel cared for and increased recognition of the RBL’s support services.

Mike Bagshaw

Mike's dedication to the RBL since he joined in 1967 has included raising thousands for the Poppy Appeal through the Middlewich Beer Festival, which he set up; encouraging membership to thrive through the Cheshire Clubs Forum, thereby saving clubs from closure; and helping bring the County Conference into the 21st century. He has held many Middlewich Branch offices and has a profound commitment to putting others first.

David Fairclough

David is an Operations Team Leader who works with teams across the RBL, from Fundraising to Marketing, as well as engaging external partners to make his ideas a success. He has collaborated with Liverpool FC to enable a dying veteran to realise their dream of watching a game; with Jaguar Land Rover to take veterans to the National Memorial Arboretum; and with a local museum to bring a secret Second World War love story to life.

Pat Teale

The Standard Bearer for Pembridge Branch in Herefordshire, Pat is a well-known personality locally and promotes the RBL in everything she does. As part of her Poppy Collector rounds, she visits vulnerable residents, reporting back to the branch if they need support. She works with a local school, talking to children about her role and the charity’s work. And her collaborations with local organisations have ensured the RBL is central to village life.

Mark Alexander

As Visitor Services & Retail Manager at the National Memorial Arboretum, Mark has driven sales, reduced waste and increased the number of local suppliers and environmentally friendly products, earning recognition in the Greats Gift Retailer Awards 2019. He has also been at the forefront of the Arboretum’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, working tirelessly to ensure a safe, engaging and rewarding experience for visitors.

Andrea Forder

For more than 20 years, Andrea has been Secretary to the National Officers. She has served at least seven National Presidents, ten National Chairmen and ten National Vice Chairmen. Her organisation and dedication ensured they were all fully equipped and briefed to perform their roles. She meets unexpected challenges and demands with energy and enthusiasm, and has given exceptional service to the RBL.

Ken Blackwell

Ken has dedicated more than 25 years to the RBL and his reputation for welfare work extends well beyond Suffolk. He has served as Chairman of the County Welfare Advisory Committee, producing many reports for Caseworkers, while nationally, he has authored a newsletter on welfare trends. Locally, in Lakenheath, he keeps the RBL at the forefront of the community, organising the annual Remembrance Day march and speaking regularly at schools and groups about involvement.

John Huck

John’s service and devotion to the RBL is apparent in every role he undertakes for his branch in Horsforth, West Yorkshire. As Poppy Appeal Organiser, he increased the total sum raised annually from £6,000 to around £30,000, and he has been involved in many Remembrance services, organising musicians as Parade Marshal. He also works on what his branch call ‘Operation Mobilisation’, to ensure that every member feels included and is given the opportunity to contribute.

Saddiqul Hoque

Managing both complex and routine financial issues and communicating financial complexities to freelancers and RBL staff is a challenge, but Senior Finance Assistant Saddiqul goes above and beyond to ensure things run smoothly. He is approachable, quick to respond to problems and find the solutions. A true team player, he is generous with his knowledge and always gives clear, helpful advice.

Mary Sewell

Mary is the Vice Chair and Poppy Appeal Organiser for Eastcote Branch in Middlesex. As well as coping magnificently in 2020 with ever-changing Covid-19 restrictions – raising £11,500 with no face-to-face collecting – she has been in support bubbles with two ladies living alone, aged 82 and 96. She has collected their shopping, visited them for a cup of tea (when rules allowed), and phoned them every day for a chat.

Mark Owens

The Army’s photographer and videographer in Scotland, Mark has worked in a freelance capacity for Poppyscotland for the past 14 years. His creativity, energy, sensitivity and exceptional eye for a great press shot has ensured extremely high media visibility for the charity, frequently securing front-page stories in national and local newspapers. His videography work has also been vital for Poppyscotland’s communications output during the pandemic.

Graham Aplin

With the County's highest increase in membership, a slew of awards, ramped-up interest locally in Remembrance and substantial funds raised for the Poppy Appeal and Battle Back Centre, the Ross-on-Wye & District Branch in Herefordshire has flourished under Graham's leadership. The branch has an active Community Support team thanks to his work as Chairman, which has helped those in need throughout the pandemic and boosted awareness of the support available from the RBL.

Adie Platts

Adie’s motto is “I want to make a difference” and his impact as Workshop Branch Chairman is plain to see. He has worked as a Caseworker; recruited many new members, including young people and veterans; and encouraged much community engagement. He has also been instrumental in organising events – he was the architect of Worksop Armed Forces Day – and Remembrance, erecting 600 named poppies on lampposts outside the known homes of the First World War Fallen.

Jane Abraham

Jane is the Poppy Appeal Organiser for East Liverpool. She covers a huge area, and always goes above and beyond to take poppies to anyone who requests them. She is a great ambassador for the RBL, encouraging Cadets and community groups to get involved with the Appeal; she provides great stewardship for these volunteers, who come from different areas and cultural backgrounds, ensuring they return year after year.

Matthew Lynch

In March 2020, when RBL staff were instructed to work from home with almost no notice, Service Desk Manager, Matthew and his team worked to ensure a smooth transition. He was instrumental in arranging laptops for staff during a national shortage and, when faced with a security threat, he worked through the weekend to bring new technology online. Matthew is passionate about providing the best service and his team receives consistently excellent feedback.

Amy Thompson

As Branch Secretary of Haslingden in Lancashire, Amy has worked hard to strengthen the RBL’s relationship with charity Veterans in Communities (VIC). She liaised with VIC and the local authority to organise VE Day, VJ Day and Remembrance commemorations, despite the restrictions of the pandemic, and in December, ensured that donated Christmas parcels were distributed to socially isolated veterans in the area to bring a little festive cheer.

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Reward & Recognition