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Dear supporter,
Welcome to the January edition of The Poppy.
2012 will be a big year for the United Kingdom. There will be plenty of excitement this summer with two major celebrations – Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee in June, followed by the London Olympics, which start in August. The last time London hosted the Olympics was 1948, postponed from 1944 when the world was still at war.
As the Legion's patron, Queen Elizabeth II has led the country in remembering our war dead at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday for sixty years. We are excited that the country as a whole will be joining together to play a part in the Jubilee celebrations.
One group of women already celebrating are the Military Wives Choir. Under the guidance of choirmaster Gareth Malone, they enthralled the nation with their recording of Wherever You Are. They reached number one in the charts over Christmas with every record sold raising funds for the Legion.
Other people were doing their bit for the Legion too, including Lt Col Henry Worsley MBE who took part in the recreation of the Scott-Amundsen race to the South Pole. The teams aim to raise £500,000 for The Royal British Legion.
And in a somewhat warmer climate, Jamie Fowler, paired with the Crown Prince of Dubai, made his 80th skydive, despite a serious accident 24 years ago.
A happy New Year to you all.
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Russell Thompson OBE
Director of National Events and Fundraising. |
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Over the last few years we've seen choirmaster Gareth Malone work his magic with various groups of people. Amongst his latest recruits were the Military Wives, a group of women whose husbands are based at Royal Marines Base Chivenor. Arguably Gareth's greatest success story, the group took the coveted Christmas number one position in the charts... |
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Married to Daniel, a regular soldier, Military Wives Choir member Sophie wanted to make the most of his leave and introduce him properly to their youngest daughter Fienna. She got in touch with the Legion and found out about Poppy Breaks. A week away was just what the whole family needed... |
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In a matter of moments a roadside bomb can cause life-changing injuries for Service men and women. The Legion has recently provided £5 million to help establish The Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College. It's the first collaboration of its kind in the UK, where civilian engineers will work alongside military doctors, supported by charitable funding. |
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It's time to buy new laces for your running shoes and limber up for the 2012 Virgin London Marathon which is on 22 April. Places are limited but we still have a few left. You'll have to move fast if you want to run for the Legion... |
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The Scott-Amundsen Centenary Race 2011-2012 to the South Pole finished on 17 January – exactly 100 years to the day since Scott reached the Pole. Lt Col Henry Worsley MBE, a British Army officer, polar adventurer and author celebrated victory in this epic race alongside Lou Rudd, his fellow member of the Amundsen team by planting the flag. At one point during the race, Lou Rudd famously described the conditions as 'like pulling a sumo wrestler through custard.' The team is also raising vital funds for the Legion throughout the year by talking about their experiences... |
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24 years ago, after he was badly injured on a Royal Marine Demonstration Jump, Jamie Fowler could never have dreamt that he would be skydiving to raise funds for the Legion. Jamie made his latest tandem jump at the Dubai International Parachuting Championship and Gulf Cup 2011 in December wearing a Legion Shoulder to shoulder t-shirt. |
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© The Royal British Legion 2012. Registered Charity No 219279.
Haig House, 199 Borough High Street, London SE1 1AA.
Supporter Careline 0845 845 1945 |
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