Readers Letter: RBL reply to Mr Foulds

I am very sorry to hear about your experience, but not knowing the full facts I am unable to comment on individual cases.

The current situation is that The Royal British Legion is spending £1.8m a week nationally helping our beneficiaries. Our beneficiaries (those eligible for help from our charity) are anyone who has drawn seven days pay from the military, their spouse and any dependent children.

We are investing money in The Battle Back Centre at Lillishall, The Centre for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College, London and in the Personnel Recovery Centres around the Country. These efforts are aimed at the Afghan Generation of Service/Ex-Service Personnel, but unlike some other charities we do not have cut off dates. We help our beneficiaries for the remainder of their lives.

We are helping our beneficiaries in times of need in a multitude of ways, which does include stair lifts, electric scooters, and emergency needs grants. However we also help with war pensions, inquests, compensation claims, benefits and money advice etc.

In the first three weeks of this year we have helped our beneficiaries in Nottinghamshire to the value of £30,606.00. This includes mobility scooters, household goods and housing (rent etc).

We have all seen the harrowing pictures of Union Flag draped coffins being brought off the Globemaster aircraft, and I am proud to be part of an organisation that will care for the widow/widower for the remainder of their lives, and their children whilst dependent.

I would like to add that the Worksop Branch is about more than just welfare for our beneficiaries. Although paramount in our work and one of our four pillars of the organisation, the others are comradeship, remembrance and representation.

You do not need to be service/ex service to join the Royal British Legion, just support our aims.

Elaine Hopkins

The Royal British Legion

Community Fund Raiser,

Nottinghamshire