Minutes of the Toddington Branch of The Royal British Legion

Committee Meeting 7.30.p.m. on

Tuesday 16^th April 2024

1. Present

 Kelly Grumoli, Pippa Brazier, Debbie Gibbons, Graeme Kelly, John Wood, Bill Levinson, Lee Stone, Nigel Washington, Linda Washington, Linda Bryant

2. Apologies

Shaun Prior, Glen Gadsden, Melanie Parker

3. Silent Tribute.

4. Exhortation

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

we will remember them.

5. Previous Meeting – Committee Meeting 19^th March 2024

The minutes were read and agreed to be a true report of the last full committee meeting. 

Proposed – Lee Stone

Seconded – Bil Levinson

6. Chairmans Report

Parish Council Grant Award.

We received our Grant of £400.00 for our D-Day event from Toddington Parish Council at their AGM meeting on the 9^th April at Toddington Village Hall, we received a certificate of the Grant from the Chair of Toddington Parish Council Louise Lissaman, many of the RBL committee attended to see this, we wish to again thank the Parish Council for their generosity and support of Toddington RBL.

D-Day Events, 6^th & 8^th June 2024

We are now seven weeks from the two D-Day evening events we are holding on the Village Green.             Reverend Linda Washington and our President Nigel Washington have agreed to conduct the services and national tributes at both events, Bil Levinson will also be reading a proclamation prior to the lighting of the Village Beacon on both evenings.

The Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Air Commodore Gordon Moulds CBE with his wife will be attending on the evening of 6^th June, where he will lay a commemorative D-Day wreath for us.

Everything is in place for the second event on the evening of 8^th June, the band are booked as is the ice cream van and the scouts who are providing hot food, we have received the large D-Day display sign which Graeme Kelly is going to make a stand to display it.

We will also have a “Pin Board” on the 8^{th of} June. We would like to ask that anyone from Toddington who is or has served in the armed forces, or has relatives who have served, if they would like to bring a copy of a photo of them, along with a couple of lines saying who they are, where they served, what regiment etc and their relationship to the Toddington resident. These photos can then go onto this board.                                                                                                                   Details of the two events will be in the next edition of the Village Magazine, on the Toddington Events page and on posters that will be going up around the village.

We are also in discussion with Reverand Linda Washington regarding a D-Day themed Service at St Georges on Sunday 9^th June, we will also confirm this once we have the details.

We have had two requests to loan some of our equipment, Toddington Rovers have asked to use our Tug Of War Rope at their Funday on 8^th June, and Pippa Brazier has asked if the Sandy Carnival can use our assault Course at the Carnival, the committee agreed that this was agreeable for both of these, Our Secretary Kelly Grumoli will draw up loan agreements for both of these.

7. Reports

• Treasurer – Debbie Gibbons

Poppy Appeal Report – Melanie Parker

2023 Poppy Appeal - Toddington

No recent events have taken place for fundraising, we have had £29.55 collected from the AYR pot from Childs Bakers, making the figures as follows:

• Local figure - £13,957.60
• Luton schools - £19,449.21
• Overall total - £31,824.62

D-Day 80 wreath has been ordered and pins are currently being ordered per PAO depending on events being held.

I am hoping that I can get a card machine for both of our June events, however these are quite hard to get hold of outside of the Remembrance period.

Poppy Appeal Totals National & Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire 2022/2023 £341,885.30

Bedfordshire 2023/2024 £337,511.23

National: 2022/2023 £38,092,456.07

National: 2023/2024 £38,164,145.72

• Membership Secretaries Report – Bil Levinson

From the membership list on 30^th March 2024, we have 62 members. Details have been sent to John and Kelly.

Web Site Report

The web site is up to date as far as I can tell, including March Minutes.

• Standard Bearer – Pippa Brazier

Our Standard Bearer, Pippa Brazier, continues to go to various Funerals, events, and parades that she is requested to attend, the most recent of these since the last meeting are set out below.

• 14^th April 2024 – St Clement Danes, Westminster - RAF

8. Correspondence

All items of correspondence are now sent out via email to the committee members prior to the meeting taking place, so that they can be read beforehand and discussed as necessary during the meeting. If any member would like a copy of any correspondence item, please contact John Wood or Kelly Grumoli (details at the top of these minutes) and we will get copies to you.

• Air Commodore Gordon Moulds CBE
• Toddington Parish Council Grant Presentation
• Central News – April 2024

9. Future Events – Memorable Dates

• 6th June, D-Day Commemoration and Beacon Lighting on the Village Green
• 8^th June, D-Day event on the Village Green
• 22^nd June – Toddington Village Fete.
• 26^th October – Coffee Morning

10. Next Meeting

 The next meeting will be at 19:30 on Tuesday 21^st May 2024 and will be in the top bar of the Social & Services Club, High Street Toddington.

If any member would like to attend a committee meeting, please contact John Wood or Kelly Grumoli and we can send you the details.

The meeting was closed at 20.25 pm