Cumberland and Westmorland County Conference Minutes 2016
Minutes of the 95th Annual Conference
Cumberland and Westmorland Royal British Legion
3rd December 2016
The Royal British Legion Club, Musgrave House, Penrith
Conference
In Attendance:
County Committee
Mr Tony Crane (County Chairman), Lt Col. Mike Rowney MBE (County Treasurer), Mr Ian Fisher (County Vice Chairman), Mr Ray Hutchinson, Miss Elaine Willacy, Mrs Margaret Wadsworth, Mr John Muir, Mr John Tear, Mr David Ballantyne, Mr Roger Burge (County Standard Bearer), Mr Karl Millyard (Temp MSO).
Distinguished Guests
HM Lord Lt. Mrs Claire Hensman (County Patron), Mr Neville Howard OBE (County President), Mr Fred Fox (Penrith Branch Chairman), The Rev David Sargent (Padre), Cllr David Whipp (Penrith Town Mayor), Mrs Thelma Richardson (Chair-Westmorland W/S), Mrs E Bamber (President Penrith W/S), Miss L Wong-Bamber (Penrith W/S), Mr Marcus Hawthorn (Area Manager), Mrs Carole Knowles (Advice and Information Team Leader), Mr Alan Whitmore (Community Fundraising Manager), Miss Judith Reay (Community Fundraiser), Mrs Linda Howat (Linda Johnston’s daughter), Mr Steven Howat (Linda’s Son-in-Law), Mrs Margaret Nightingale (Linda’s Aunty).
Branch Delegates
Appleby, Brampton, Bransty, Cockermouth, Kirkby Lonsdale, Tebay, Sedburgh, Wigton, Windermere.
1. The County Chairman Mr Tony Crane welcomed everyone to the Conference.
2. The County President Mr Neville Howard officially opened Conference with the Exhortation and Silent Tribute.
3. The Padre Reverend David Sargent warmly welcomed Conference and led guests and delegates in prayer.
4. The County Chairman introduced the Distinguished Guests.
5. Penrith town Mayor Cllr David Whipp, warmly welcomed Conference to Penrith on behalf of Penrith Town Council and the Community of Penrith. He spoke about Penrith Town Council only being in existence for two years and therefore so had his office as Mayor for the Town. He went to speak about the launch of Poppy Appeal in Cumbria by two vintage buses which he thought was an excellent start to the Appeal. He also expressed his wish that the Appeal bettered last years’ total figures. He congratulated the FA for allowing our national teams to display the poppy at the recent England/Scotland game. He thanked the service community for keeping the nation safe.
6. Penrith Branch Chairman Mr Fred Fox extended a cordial welcome in his capacity as Penrith branch Chairman.
7. Apologies for Absence: Apologies for absence were received and accepted from: Tony Parrini, John Couling and Carlisle & Stanwix branch RBL, Ian Chambers and Ullock & Dist branch RBL, Keith Faulkner and Wath Brow branch RBL, Clive Sumpter and Kendal branch RBL. Jim Henderson.
8. The County President Mr Neville Howard opened his address to Conference and congratulated all involved in the Poppy Appeal then spoke in general about the state of the world at present and what the possible future holds for our service community as well as describing the recent operational past for our armed forces and their families and how, we as an organisation continue to support and care for all our beneficiaries. The President’s address concluded by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and good wishes for the New Year. The full address is attached at Annex A (click to open).
9. Standing Orders were adopted for the duration of conference.
10. Minutes of the 2015 Annual Conference were accepted as a true record.
11. Matters Arising. There were no matters arising from the minutes.
12. The County Chairman Mr Tony Crane then gave his report to Conference: ‘Mr President, Distinguished Guests and Delegates to say it has been a year ‘out of the ordinary’ would certainly be an understatement, prior to last years Conference I had volunteered my services to stand in for Una (our County Secretary/MSO at the time) as she had booked leave to go on holiday over our Conference period, as it coincided with her 50th birthday. Una and Mike, our County Treasurer, had worked hard together and put everything in place for the event with Eddie Dixon in the Chair and myself to perform Una’s duties; however, a short while before Conference was to take place, due to changes at the top, there had been an increase in the number of representatives on the Membership Council and there being no other candidates willing or able to stand to represent Cumbria, the Isle of Man and the North East, Eddie would forego his position as County Chairman and had agreed to be co-opted onto the Membership Council if I was happy to take over as temporary Chairman.
Following the laid down electoral process, I was duly installed as Chairman at Conference this time last year. Not long after this, Una handed in her notice as she did not want to commute to Penrith to fulfil her duties when the Kendal office was relocated. On her departure Linda Johnston, having recently lost her previous job due to the closure of St Bees School, was taken on as temporary MSO and then having gone through the proper selection process was appointed as the next MSO.
We thought we were now more or less back on track. Mike, our County Treasurer and Training Officer had stated that he would like to stand down due to family commitments but would be willing to continue until we could recruit replacements to fill the offices he would vacate having very diligently carried them out for a number of years, but we were not going to be spoiled for choice; unfortunately, at that time we had no volunteers coming forward. We knew it would not be easy to find anyone but eventually, Phyll Boulton put her name forward for the County Treasurer position. The Training Officer’s role was not so vital to fill as there is a National Training Team that will run membership and branch official’s courses providing they can get enough candidates to make it worthwhile.
So, back on course again…, so we thought. In the summer, just before the Grasmere Show we were shocked to hear that Eddie was to resign his position on the Membership Council due to health reasons and then, in the middle of September, as you are all aware, we were hit with the awful news that Linda had passed away in her sleep. Once again we were ‘adrift without a paddle’.
However, Marcus acted quickly and soon had a temporary MSO in place; this young man to my left, Karl, and, although it is a steep learning curve he is coming to grips with the job. With the loss of a lot of previous files and records from the system it has not been easy for him but he is bossing it. By far the hardest part has been getting this Conference together in the time frame that was left so we apologise for anything that has not happened in line with the previous schedule.
I am pleased to report that we are fulfilling our commitments as a County and meeting the standards laid down by Royal Charter Rules and Regulations and we have been present at a number of gatherings throughout the past year both raising awareness of what we are about and taking part in commemoration events of the centenaries of WW1 significant dates.
I think that’s enough from me as I know you will all want to get home without the complications we had last year. Let’s hope the coming year will be a little easier than the last in all respects. Thank you.
13. The County Treasurer, Lt Col Mike Rowneyintroduced himself and presented his report, detailing balances of the County Accounts including the BFI (Branch Fund Initiative) as at the 30th June 2016
Accounts:
NatWest Current account: £5,602.62
BFI: £20,013.84 (Welfare)
Lloyds Welfare: £9,024.99 (Welfare)
Trust Fund: £29,199.00 (Estimate)
Total Value £63,840.45
NatWest Account Broken Down into individual accounts:
County Events Historical: £912.06
County Events as per FY budget: £-97.48
Cumbria Branch BR1455: £241.43
Training as per FY budget: £475.42
General Fund as per FY budget: £4,071.19
Total: £5,502.62
BFI General: £2,529.46
Total funds available for county use £8,032.08
WELFARE
Welfare Account BFI: £20,013.84
Welfare held in NatWest: £9,024.99
Trust fund: £29,199.00 (Approx. not statement since Sep 2012)
Welfare Balance: £58,237.83
Welfare spend during FY by county & Branches £9,164.74
BUDGET ALLOCATION 2016-17
County budget allocation from headquarters for FY 2016-17:
Administrative grant £2,571.00
Events £2767.00
Training £1,370.00
Total Grant County £6,708.00
COUNTY ACCOUNTS BALANCE AT END OF QUARTER ONE 2016-17
30 SEPTEMBER 2016
The county balances at the end of the first quarter are:
NatWest Current Account £20,190 ) Incl £9,024 Welfare
BFI £20,013.84 ) Welfare Only
BFI General (old Bonus Acct) £2,535.53
Trust Fund (-£3,248.49 Last Almonisation) £29,199) Welfare Only
The current account of £20,190 is broken down as follows:
General fund £6,857
Welfare £9,024
County Events historical £765
Cumbria Branch BR1455 £241 to be paid to HO as branch waiting closure
Training fund £1,485
Annual Events fund £1,818
A full set of county accounts will be available at the AGM should any member of the county wish to check them. Thank you.
Proposed by Elaine Willacy. Seconded by John Muir. Carried.
14. Adoption of the County Plan 2016-2019. Mike Rowney expressed that he wished branches to inform him of any events (such as Cumberland Show, the Westmorland Show, Grasmere and Dalton Shows etc) plus any branch events that they planned to take part in during 2017 so that they can be included on the County calendar.
Proposed by: Robert Roy Burns. Seconded by Ray Hutchinson. Carried.
15. The Guest Speaker, Maj Gen David Jolliffe (TRBL Board of Trustees) was introduced by the County Chairman. General Jolliffe then explained the make up of the Board of Trustees. He then delivered an address, which is included in it’s entirety so that no points are missed: My Lord Lieutenant, Mr Mayor, Mr President, Mr Chairman, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Over the past year, the dedicated hard work of a great many people has continued to strengthen changes within the Legion that have significantly enhanced its ability to help its beneficiaries to lead sustainable and more independent lives. Remote from the work of the Legion, the year has also been pretty dramatic in other ways as the County President has outlined so vividly. On the brighter side, our Queen has celebrated her 90th birthday, the UK came 2nd in the Olympic and Paralympic medal tables and FIFA gave the Legion significant free publicity because of its unacceptable stance on the wearing of poppies by our home nations during International matches.
The Legion has also been busy this year. Its commemoration of the centenary of the Battle of the Somme started with events in Manchester, the NMA and at Thiepval and concluded on 18 November, the anniversary of the final day of the battle, with a moving service at Thiepval organised by the Legion in partnership with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Department for Culture, Media and Sports.
For the Senior Service, a specially commissioned, brass and red copper, poppy-shaped capsule, designed to symbolise all who died 100 years ago during the Battle of Jutland, was filled with dedications from the public and conveyed by HMS Duncan , a Type 45 Guided Missile Destroyer, to Jutland Bank where, on Tuesday 31 May, it was released into the North Sea as part of a special ceremony to become a permanent memorial at sea in honour of those who lost their lives in the naval conflicts of the Great War.
In another moving event at the end of October, I was fortunate enough to represent the Trustees at a reception in Liverpool jointly organised by the MoD and the Legion to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Arctic Convoy missions. What a great day and what a great privilege to meet and speak with veterans of those voyages undertaken in such unspeakably horrific, natural and man-made circumstances.
While on the subject of Remembrance and not forgetting another fantastic Festival Of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall last month, a new £16m Visitors’ Centre at the National Memorial Arboretum was opened to the public in late October. It features three new exhibition galleries, a larger restaurant and shop, a separate coffee shop and a beautiful cloistered courtyard and garden.
At the heart of the new Centre, which will transform the experience of the Arboretum’s many visitors, is a fascinating, interactive exhibition 'Landscapes of Life' providing a preview of the Arboretum and an introduction to the concept of Remembrance and why it is an important human need spanning thousands of years.
With the continued public interest in the Centenary and the strong support from members, volunteers, and the public, the 2015 Poppy Appeal result was amazing with a fantastic £45.6m having been raised. Once again, in 2016, thousands of members and volunteers have been working for months to deliver this period of National Remembrance and this has been rewarded by huge public support. The work to count and bank the monies donated, continues.
2016 has also been a busy and successful year for our Campaign and Policy Team. Thanks to the Legion’s expertise in this area, all veterans diagnosed with Mesothelioma as a result of Service will, from now on, have the choice of receiving either a traditional War Pension or £140,000 in lump sum compensation, regardless of age at diagnosis. Originally the Government’s announcement was only to benefit those veterans who applied for compensation after 16 December 2015 and not those already diagnosed with the disease.
The Legion expressed its disappointment to officials that those veterans living with Mesothelioma prior to Dec1915 (around 60) weren't included in the changes and, following a review, the Government extended eligibility to all veterans.
Under our campaign “Insult to Injury” the Legion has secured protection for our veterans against means-testing for their social care support. From next year, injured veterans in England, Scotland and Wales will no longer have to surrender most of their military compensation to pay for their social care.
Our “Count them In” campaign, in which the Legion and Poppy Scotland are asking the Government to ensure that questions on the Armed Forces community are included in the 2021 UK Census, has gained support from politicians, Local Authorities and the public. The information we hope to be able to gather (such as a simple, “have you ever served in HM Forces?”) will help ensure that Service personnel and their families receive the care and support they deserve.
Before leaving the Success section of my address I must mention last month’s great news that we had been selected, alongside our principal partners: SSAFA, Combat Stress, Connect Assist and Poppy Scotland to deliver the new Veterans’ Gateway.
This £2 million programme is funded by the Government and is a one-stop service to better support the UK’s Armed Forces Veteran community. The new service will provide a 24/7 phone number, a dedicated website and a mobile app to make it easier for former service personnel to access support on a range of issues including housing, employability and healthcare from whichever organisation is best placed to deliver it. It will give veterans, regardless of age or location, a single point of contact to turn to for advice and help in accessing public, private and charitable services. We have commenced detail planning for the implementation of the Gateway and it will be formally launched in the first half of 2017. This is a crucial first step in delivering our strategy over the next five years (which I will cover shortly) and we look forward to working in collaboration with all our partners to ensure that no veteran is left behind.
Not everything always goes smoothly and what one group considers tobe acceptable is not necessarily shared by another.
Our approach to managing the membership renewals process has improved this year with a significant drop in the number of complaints but we recognise there is still much more we need to do to make this easier for all involved.
For those of you, who have experienced difficulties with the new mechanics of doing things or received a less than satisfactory service, please accept my apologies on behalf of a system which pledges to do better – quickly.
Finally in this “must do better” section, we are happy that, having listened to concerns from all aspects of membership, both in the Women’s Section and in the main part of The Royal British Legion, we have agreed an amicable solution. This will help both parties to move forwards in unity whilst retaining the unique identity of the Women’s Section. We will work together, through the existing Working Group, to develop the changes that will enable the transition to take place on or before 01 October 2017. We are very grateful to all those who have made positive contributions and for their patience. We look forward to the successful implementation of the plan.
What of 2017 and the future?
We have a new Director General in Charles Byrne who was formerly the Legion’s extremely successful Director of Fundraising. I hope you will get to meet him in the not too distant future because he is an extremely nice man who has a clear vision of the place of the Legion in the coming years.
When engaging with the public and other organisations, he, like all of us, has heard people say that they never realised that the Legion does so much. For this reason, it was decided to clarify our purpose and create an explanation which sums up who we are, why we do the work we do, and why our help is so important.
“Our Purpose” is a new statement that explains what the Legion is and does. It is based on our original Purpose and today’s existing activities. It paints a picture of where we need to get to and also reflects the fact that we work alongside many other people and organisations to provide the support needed by those we serve:
“The Legion is at the heart of a national network that supports our Armed Forces community through thick and thin – ensuring their unique contribution is never forgotten.”
An internal, thought-provoking and inspiring digital booklet has been produced which outlines the Legion’s purpose and is available to members by contacting their MSO or anyone with access to the MYLEGION website.
Enhancement of the realities outlined in the Our Purpose booklet is the thrust of the Legion’s Strategy for the 5 years up to 2021 which was alluded to by the National Chairman when he addressed this Conference last year.
Inspired by those we support, our Strategy aims to seize the unique opportunities we have to further build on the public’s strong participation in Remembrance and to deliver the greatest benefit we can to our Armed Forces, past and present, and their families, otherwise known as the Armed Forces Community.
Under ‘Pathway for Growth’, TRBL has become a more professional organisation formed around a restructured regional model that has enabled us to effectively target the needs of the Armed Forces Community. However, the context in which we serve is forever changing. The size of the Community is decreasing but the average age of its members (the people we support) is increasing and their needs are becoming more complex. In addition, there is increasing pressure on Central and Local Government spending. Our strategy aims to respond to these changes, to extend our services and make even greater advances in the range, reach and quality of support that we offer. We will do this not only directly but also through much closer collaboration with our charity partners. Our aim is not to be the No.1 Service Charity; it is to deliver the greatest range of impact that we can.
We will collaborate better across our own organisation and membership and with the other charities and partners with whom we work. By collaborating and using the unified delivery platform that the Veterans Gateway will provide, we will be able to ensure those we support are in a much better position by providing the breadth, depth and quality of service they deserve.
There are four major priorities under our strategy:
- To improve the Services we provide for those we support.
- To commemorate those who have died.
- To forge stronger links with our Membership and
- To improve the Legion’s Operational Excellence – its ways of working.
Detailed plans are being drawn up for the implementation of the strategy which will be ready for the end March 2017. In the meantime, consultation on the strategy with staff, volunteers and members has already started.
The implementation of the strategy will directly impact the Membership and, in addition, we will need the support and involvement of our members to help deliver it. In summary this means that, working together, we can make it easier for our members to continue their valuable role within the Legion.
Our plans for working with the Membership include:
- Establishing a clear purpose for membership which sets out differing levels of engagement in response to members’ interests.
- Increasing membership involvement in their support of Services to the Armed Forces Community, Remembrance, Fundraising and other events and activities. This builds on the foundations of the Branch Community Support scheme already established in many areas of the country. This initiative provides a vital way for the membership to reach out to those needing support e.g. by visiting someone at home or in hospital, or increasing support for the charity by hosting awareness events.
Other plans include:
- Encouraging the growth of membership in the digital space whilst allowing the traditional members to co-exist, thus ensuring their support and:
- Increasing retention and recruitment rates, encouraging and promoting both traditional (existing) and new members.
Before I sit down or take questions (depending on how kind you are going to be to me) there is one significant Remembrance event which we would like all Branches to support. One of the key priorities in our five year strategy is the commemoration of the end of the First World War in 2018. One of the commemorative activities we are proposing is a major event at the Menin Gate on 8th of August 2018 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Great Pilgrimage of 1928. Great Pilgrimage 90 will be an unrivalled event for the Legion’s membership to support and attend and the largest in which it has ever been involved. It will be the only membership-focussed National event within the commemorative programme, providing a focus on the 90 plus year history of branches within their communities and the membership’s contribution, over time, to services to the Crown.
More details of how you can support this exciting development will be shared early next year. Thank you. Any questions?
Lt Col Rowney asked Gen Jolliffe if Almonisation can be sorted at Head Office as the last we had covered Oct-Dec 2105 and have had nothing since. As this is frustrating for branches who wish to be part of the Almonisation process. Also, Trust Funds, there has been no statement for 4 years in regard to Trust Funds.
Richard Glenister, Windermere branch Treasurer, also asked Gen Jolliffe if he could find out why enquiries asked of HO don’t even get replied to. He detailed examples of Wallace Fund and Almonisation. Gen Jolliffe agreed to ask the questions at HO.
15. Area Managers Report. Mr Marcus Hawthorn was introduced to the Conference and he thanked everyone from across the county for their hard work and support this year and also paid special tribute to Linda Johnston. He presented his Area Report to Conference…which is fairly detailed so is attached in full at Annex B (click to open).
16. Community Fundraisers Report. Miss Judith Reay was introduced to Conference. Judith gave a ‘Power Point Presentation’ of the events surrounding the Poppy Appeal Launch and the Poppy Appeal fortnight from around the County. Highlighting the efforts of Poppy Appeal Organisers and the many volunteers who engaged in this vital work. With a special mention given to Sedburgh branch for their efforts on Launch day for the reception, band and great turnout. Appleby were also mentioned for their reception. The collection at Carlisle United FC was also mentioned, as a first. In an hour and a half almost £1000 was collected at the ground. Sue Kaveney received a special mention for her award of Volunteer of the year in the Cumberland News awards. The final figure collected will not be available until September 2017 but we are on track to surpassing last year’s total figure. Judith concluded by asking Conference to give a huge round of applause for all those involved.
17. Community Fundraising Manager. Mr Alan Whitmore gave a short address to Conference stating his desire for the North West and Northern Ireland’s Poppy Appeal totals to achieve £6 million. Last year’s total was £5.4m in our region. He was hopeful this can be achieved so that the help, assistance and support for our beneficiaries is maintained or improved upon. Alan also thanked Ian Fisher together with John Edwards for stepping in for Linda Johnston to continue her work on the Appeal in the west of the county. John confirmed that the total raised so far in their area was just short of £30k. Alan then went on to describe the efforts of those involved throughout the region in support of the Appeal. He also gave thanks for the FIFA ruling on the ban of players wearing the poppy, saying this was a major boost for the Appeal in that it attracted so many more to give, including players, as a result of that ruling. Alan also asked delegates to warmly thank all the volunteers involved in the Appeal on his behalf.
18. The County Chairman asked for a proposer that the next County Conference be held at Penrith RBL Club on Saturday 2nd December 2017 to continue at this venue for its central location. Proposer Phyll Boulton. Seconded by Brian Warren. Carried.
19. County Awards. The County Chairman then read out the letter from Charles Byrne the RBL Director General, in regard to the RBL Gold Badge Award to be presented to the family of Mrs Linda Johnston, in tribute to and in recognition of over 30 year’s service to The Royal British Legion and its beneficiaries. This letter and the RBL Gold Badge are gifted into Linda Johnston’s estate. Marcus Hawthorn then read the citation for the award to Conference. The Gold Badge Award and County Certificate was then presented to Mrs Linda Howat (Linda’s daughter), her husband Steven and her Aunty, Mrs Margaret Nightingale by our County Patron, Mrs Claire Hensman.
The Chairman then announced the award presentations for 2016-2017. The following awards were then presented by The County Patron, Mrs Claire Hensman: The Major JW Smith Poppy Day Rose Bowl to Sedburgh Branch. The George Coles Poppy Trophy to Cockermouth Branch. The George Coward Trophy to Brough Branch. The County Membership Shield to Egremont Branch. The Captain JM Smith Memorial Cup to Bransty Branch. The Lonsdale Youth Trophy to Kendal Sea Cadets and The County Chairman’s Shield to Whitehaven Army Cadets.
20. There were no donations presented Byng House, Lister House and the Cumbria Benevolent Fund.
21. County Vice Chairman Mr Ian Fisher gave a vote of thanks to our County Patron, Mrs Claire Hensman, The County Chairman, The County Treasurer, The Penrith branch Chairman, The Town Mayor, The Padre, The Guest Speaker, he also thanked Marcus Hawthorn, Carole Knowles, Judith Reay, Karl Millyard, Linda’s family and paid special tribute to Linda Johnston.
22. The National Anthem.
23. There being no further business Conference was officially closed at 15.15hrs.
Signed :
County Chairman. Date :
