Sandbag - RBL Newsletter: January 2011
Download the full edition (PDF)
News from Poppy Appeal
Arthur Pickup (our Poppy Appeal organizer) has passed me an update on how the Poppy Appeal is doing this year, which I feel you will want to know about. Our branch total is now £12,038 and up to Christmas the entire County of Somerset has so far raised £826,923. Nationally the total is currently £28 million which means we are all well on target to achieve at least the £36 million raised last year.
The RBL has committed a record-breaking £50 million grant for the care of injured Armed Forces personnel - the Legion's largest single award, which will fund four Personnel Recovery Centres (PRCs) in the UK and capital financing for one in Germany. It will also allow for the creation and operation of the RBL Battle Back Challenge and Assessment Centre and provide running costs for a “Pathfinder” PRC in Edinburgh. The Legion will take over funding of the centre's running costs from 1 January 2011 and provide the £5 million needed to keep it operating until 2020.
Three purpose-built PRCs will be created in Colchester, Catterick and Tidworth, jointly financed by the RBL and Help for Heroes. All will provide rehabilitation and assistance for injured soldiers.
It is nice to hear how our Poppy Appeal money gets spent. We intend holding an events in the summer to boost our 2010 appeal before it closes.
Coffee Mornings 2011
Our branch Coffee Mornings have been set for:
Saturday 2nd April, 30th July and 29th October. All starting at 10.00am
Our June Coffee Morning will be replaced by the Poppy Party of 11 June.
Next Branch Trips
Our first trip of the year should be very interesting with a visit to Hall & Woodhouse Brewery in Blandford on Friday 25th March. The tour of the working brewery starts at 11.00am and the coach will leave Wincanton at 10.00am. There is a £6.00 charge (includes a pint of beer) for the tour which lasts around 1 ¾ hours and I have set the price of the coach at £10.00 as long as we get over 30 people. There will be time for lunch in the brewery restaurant for those who wish and then we will go into Blandford until around 4.00pm, getting home around 5.00pm.
Our trip to Poole is set for Saturday 16th April and is still in the planning stage, awaiting finalising a possible visit to the RNLI Lifeboat Centre. We will depart at 9.00am and arrive home around 6.00pm. The cost is £10 as usual.
Our May trip will be to Bridport for the famous market and then on to West Bay for the rest of the day - full details in the next Sandbag.
Sandbag by Email
In the early new year the cost of postage will go up substantially and in an effort to keep costs down I have sent an email to all the members I know who have email and I would be very grateful if they would agree to have their copy sent as an email. If I have not contacted you and you are on email would you please let me know.
Bruton Trips 2011
I have now received the list of trips organized by Bruton branch for 2011:
17th March - Cardiff
21st April - Gloucester Quays
19th May - Lymington & Lyndhurst (New Forest)
16th June - Minehead (Part of journey by steam train for those who wish)
21st July - River Exe (Via Exmouth & Topsham)
15th September - Lynton & Lynmouth
20th October - Swanage
17th November - Cadbury Garden Centre.
All trips are priced at £10 each
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