FROM: NATIONAL CHAIRMAN’S OFFICE
Registered address: Royal British Legion, Haig House, 199 Borough High Street, London SE1 1AA | rbl.org.uk
Registered charity number: 219279
CHAIRMAN’S BRIEFING
SUMMARY OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING
20th APRIL 2023
Dear Branch and Staff Members,
This is a briefing on the key decisions and discussions that took place at the Board of Trustees
meeting on 20th April 2023 which I hope you find informative.
One Legion Strategy 2025
In contrast to the previous strategy, current, One Legion strategy focuses on doing more for
the people we serve. An ‘elevator pitch’ was presented. This provides a 30 second summary
of the strategy in plain English. This will be useful for explaining what we are doing to a wide
range of people. Following the Board’s considerations, the Director General and National
Chair will make some revisions, and this will then be shared.
 Balanced Scorecard
A draft of a new scorecard with key metrics was shared with the Board. This will give
an overview of our performance across the range of the Legion’s activities. It aims to
measure outcomes and address priorities. One of these priorities is the Women in
Leadership initiative, focusing on their retention and promotion. The Executive will
also look at measures for organisational health and ways of developing capability.
They will sort through the data and reflect on what is useful for the Board to have
oversight of at each quarter.
 Cultural Evolution Programme
This is a very broad programme of work that draws together the many existing
elements and new initiatives to provide greater coherence and visibility of the whole.
We have been deliberately changing the ways we work over the last few years to
operate less in silos and be more joined up. Everyone across the Legion will be part of
the new culture programme and it seeks to build the sense of shared purpose and
collaborative work across the Board, Membership Council, and the Executive,
members and staff and role model the cultural changes we want to embed.
Useful research was presented on our beneficiaries and their changing needs. This regular
review will become part of our annual cycle which drives our planning and delivery.
FROM: NATIONAL CHAIRMAN’S OFFICE
Registered address: Royal British Legion, Haig House, 199 Borough High Street, London SE1 1AA | rbl.org.uk
Registered charity number: 219279
DG’s Diary
In building a shared, inclusive, understanding of all our people and all our important work,
the Director General continues to post a monthly short video showcasing the range of people
and work we do across the Legion. There was significant interest in the interviews with County
Chairs at the previous seminar.
Annual Conference
Registration numbers are rising and exceeding 2022. The Right Honourable James Heappey
MP will speak on Saturday and is the Minister of State for the Armed Forces. Before entering
politics, he was an officer in the British Army. On Sunday, Professor Gavin Oxburgh will speak
and is a Registered Forensic Psychologist and Professor of Police Science at Northumbria
University. He is a 22-year veteran of the Royal Air Force Police and is the Assistant Director
of the Northern Hub for Veterans and Military Families Research. He works closely with
international bodies such as the International Criminal Court and was a key member of the
UN-led International Steering Committee that developed The Mendez Principles on effective
interviewing for investigations and information gathering.
Plastic-free poppy
The Executive team are delighted to share that after years of hard work our new
environmentally friendly paper poppy and which will be available for the 2023 Poppy Appeal.
Collaborating with experts, this poppy will be made from 50% recycled waste from the
production of coffee cups and 50% responsibly sourced wood fibre. We’ll also achieve a 40%
reduction in carbon emissions in production compared to our existing design. To minimise
waste, our existing poppy (which contains single-use plastic) will still be available alongside
the plastic-free poppy until current stocks are used up. The Board discussed a shift away from
cash in the future for poppy sales.
Coronation weekend
The Legion is very honoured to have had a significant role in the King’s coronation providing
and marshalling one hundred standard bearers under the direction our National Parade
Marshall.
Monday 8th May 2023 is all about Charities. The Legion sent out communications using the
opportunity to support a recruitment drive for the Poppy Appeal.
FROM: NATIONAL CHAIRMAN’S OFFICE
Registered address: Royal British Legion, Haig House, 199 Borough High Street, London SE1 1AA | rbl.org.uk
Registered charity number: 219279
Team UK for 2023 Invictus Games
The Board noted the successful launch of the Team UK for 2023 Invictus Games in Dusseldorf.
Fifty-nine members were selected from “Wounded Injured & Sick” Community [“WIS”]
delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Defence. The participants, all WIS serving
personnel and veterans, will compete between the 9th and 16th September 2023.
Cost of Living grant
Applications are now running at around 25 per day and extra allocated staff has stabilised the
process. We now have six months of data and customer satisfaction is excellent. Through this
initiative, the Legion has helped a lot of people and continues to do so. The Board approved
a spend of up to £12m for these grants.
RBL Annual Report & Accounts
The Board APPROVED the annual report and accounts, and these will soon be available to
view on the RBL website here. Deloitte have been reappointed as external auditors.
Care Services
Financial metrics and reporting are now available for our care services and are proving to be
very helpful operationally and strategically. Work is currently underway regarding the future
of care services and blue sky thinking. A recent CQC rating at Halsey House found no overall
change in status. Safety at the home has improved since the last inspection and this is
reflected in the detail of the report.
Complaints Processes
It was agreed that the complaints processes will apply equally across the Legion including the
Board, its various Committees, Membership Council, Branches, Counties, members, the
Executive, Staff, Volunteers, and anyone in a role acting on behalf of the Legion. The Learning
& Development team will carry out training across the Legion to support its understanding
and implementation.
New Trustee
The Board APPOINTED Paul Astruc as a Trustee and the new Chair of the Finance Committee.
This appointment will take effect from the end of the Annual Conference 2023. He brings a
wealth of experience from the finance sector and strengthens the diversity of the Board.
FROM: NATIONAL CHAIRMAN’S OFFICE
Registered address: Royal British Legion, Haig House, 199 Borough High Street, London SE1 1AA | rbl.org.uk
Registered charity number: 219279
Farewells
Martin Dove, our Chief of Staff, will be leaving at the end of the month and has had a huge
impact on the Legion over the last few years.
Garry Mills, our Trustee, has made endless contributions to the Legion throughout the
decades always speaking passionately from the heart.
Rod Bedford, our Trustee, has made superb contributions to the Legion and especially to the
National Memorial Arboretum and Membership.
Philip Moore, our Trustee, has provided exceptional constructive challenge over the years and
furthered the development of the finance function.
Lt General James Bashall, our National President, has seen the Legion through an intense four
years and which included the Covid 19 Pandemic. He has steered us with remarkable
stewardship. The National President thanked the Legion for inviting him to join the Board
meetings where he got to be involved first hand and assist them with obstacles and
challenges, finding their work inspirational and exceptional. In an incredibly challenging
environment, he felt that he got to witness the vision of the Legion and its interest and passion
for a great purpose.
Yours sincerely,
Jason Coward