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Vector Global Solutions supports The Royal British Legion

As part of our ongoing commitment towards Corporate Social Responsibility, we have chosen The Royal British Legion to be our Charity of the Year and work with them on a number of exciting initiatives.

Who They Are
The Royal British Legion is governed by a Board of Trustees consisting of the National Chairman, National Vice Chairman, twelve elected Trustees, six appointed Trustees and the National Chairman Women’s Section. Elections and appointments are staggered over a three year cycle to allow an intake of new Trustees every year.

The Board exercises responsibility for the overall strategic direction, governance and management of the Legion, ensuring that the charity operates within the law and within its objectives as laid down in the Royal Charter.

The Board delegates responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Legion to the Executive Group, led by the Director General, within a clearly defined decision-making and reporting structure.

Patron and National President
The Royal British Legion is honoured to have Her Majesty the Queen as its patron. While having royal patronage from its founding in 1921, the Legion received its "Royal" appellation in 1971 on its golden anniversary.

The National President of The Royal British Legion is Lieutenant General Sir John Kiszely KCB MC, appointed in early 2009.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal is president of the Women's Section of The Royal British Legion.

Who They help
The Royal British Legion helps people of all ages and backgrounds. To be eligible for There help, you must have served in the Forces for at least 7 days, or be the dependant of someone who has served. It really is that simple.

What They do
The Royal British Legion is a charity that provides financial, social and emotional support to millions who have served and are currently serving in the Armed Forces, and their dependants.

The Legion was founded in 1921 as a voice for the ex-Service community and over 380,000 members continue to ensure that this voice does not go unheard. Although the needs of ex-Service people have changed over the years, we are still there to safeguard their welfare, interests and memory.

We are probably best-known for our role as the nation's custodian of Remembrance and for the Poppy Appeal which we organise annually.

The Poppy Appeal
Each year the nation expresses its unequivocal support for The Royal British Legion's charity work through the Poppy Appeal.

The current theme of "Serving those who Serve", emphasises the increasing need to help the men and women who are serving today, as well as ex-Services and dependants.

Our services are needed all year so please help our fundraising by making a donation, volunteering your time or displaying your support.

For more information please visit our Support us section or www.poppy.org.uk

History of the Poppy Appeal
The first official Legion Poppy Day was held in Britain on 11 November 1921, inspired by the poem In Flanders' Fields written by John McCrae. Since then the Poppy Appeal has been a key annual event in the nation's calendar.

How the Poppy Appeal began
Some of the bloodiest fighting of World War One took place in the Flanders and Picardy regions of Belgium and Northern France. The poppy was the only thing which grew in the aftermath of the complete devastation. McCrae, a doctor serving there with the Canadian Armed Forces, deeply inspired and moved by what he saw, wrote these verses:

In Flanders' Fields
John McCrae, 1915
In Flanders' fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders' fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high,
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders' Fields.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the First World War ended. Civilians wanted to remember the people who had given their lives for peace and freedom. An American War Secretary, Moina Michael, inspired by John McCrae's poem, began selling poppies to friends to raise money for the ex-Service community. And so the tradition began.

Donate
Our welfare work is a lifeline for thousands of serving and ex-Service people and we can only do that with help from people like you. So please donate today, no gift is too small to make a difference.

Choose from either a single donation or a regular donation via Direct Debit. Giving each month is a very cost effective way to support our work because it means we have more to spend on the vital services our ex-Service men and women need.

Don't forget to click the 'Gift Aid' box - this ensures that we get tax back on all donations, increasing your gift by almost a third. Find out more about Gift Aid here.

More ways to give
Payroll Giving - a tax-free way of giving through gross pay.
Donate by phone - call 0845 845 1945 now and make a donation today.
Donate by post - to set up a monthly donation or make a single donation by post, please print off either a Direct Debit donation form (pdf) or Donation form (pdf) and return to The Royal British Legion, FREEPOST SN1457, Melksham SN12 7BR.

Share Giving - the giving of shares can offer significant tax advantages. Contact Joseph Dublin (T: 020 3207 2273) for more information.

Gift Aid - make your donations go further by clicking the Gift Aid box on the donation forms or by completing and returning a Gift Aid Form

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The partnership involves a range of ongoing initiatives and we hope to really make a difference through a concerted and collaborative effort.

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