The Royal British Legion are delighted to be hosting the Hampshire VE 80 Concert at O2 Guildhall Southampton on Sunday the 4th of May. Working with sponsors Associated British Ports (ABP) with music performed by the Royal Marines Association Band the evening will be a rousing performance to commemorate this time in history when everyone came together to celebrate the end of World War II, 8o years ago. Tickets will go on sale in the coming weeks via the O2 Guildhall box office.

The 2025 Regional Standard Bearer Competition was hosted by Devon and held in Axminster, Saturday 15th February. Congratulations to our Hampshire Standard Bearer, Pete Pullin and Amelie Neal, Youth Standard Bearer who won the event and will progress to the National Standard Bearer's competition in Harrogate at the May Annual Conference!

Congratulations to all those involved in making the day such a success.

Forms for Hampshire County Golf Competitions

Please support these great Golf events

Golf Pairs Entry Form 25 Golf Team Entry Form 25

In our previous editions we said internet banking is rolling out in phases and would be coming to our area soon. We’re delighted to report that internet banking is now here!

If you’re interested in registering for internet banking, please read our registration guidance in full and complete any necessary steps. Following this, please contact your Membership Engagement Officer (MEO) to get started.

Already using internet banking? Great!

We know some branches have been using internet banking for quite a while and this is not a problem at all. We do however kindly ask that you get in touch with your MEO to register your branch so that we can ensure your account meets our new internet banking guidance. Please don’t be concerned about registering – no branches will be “told off” for not meeting the new guidance, nor will they be forced to switch to Lloyds. Thank you for your continued support.

I have questions...

If you have any questions about internet banking, please see our FAQs. If your question remains unanswered, please contact membershipservices@britishlegion.org.uk.

Remembering the end of the Second World War

2025 marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War, with Victory in Europe (VE) Day on 8 May 1945 and Victory over Japan (VJ) Day on 15 August 1945. The RBL is planning events to mark these momentous anniversaries to ensure that the service and sacrifice of the Second World War generation is always remembered.

Victory in the Second World War would simply not have been possible without the combined efforts of all the Allied Forces, from the Commonwealth and beyond. Therefore, the veterans of our Second World War generation from across the UK, Commonwealth and Allied nations, will be at the very heart of all commemorations.

Everyone in modern Britain today has a connection to those who served during the Second World War, either through their family or community heritage. RBL activities will thank surviving veterans and pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives, without whom the way of life we enjoy today would not have been possible.

If you are interested in hearing more about our events in 2025, and having an opportunity to attend, please complete the form below. Planning for events in 2025 is ongoing and we aim to be in contact with those who have expressed an interest in attending these by mid-March 2025.

https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/remembrance/remembrance-events/remembering-the-end-of-the-second-world-war

If this is something you feel strongly about, please follow this link

Here at the Royal British Legion, we believe that military compensation for injury, illness, or loss should provide security, not hardship. Yet, one million UK veterans over 65 - including 146,000 who qualify for Pension Credit - are at risk of losing crucial support because their compensation is counted as income. This unfair policy means some of our poorest veterans and their families are pushed beyond the threshold for Pension Credit, missing out on thousands of pounds of vital support that civilians in similar circumstances can access.

We must continue to hold the government accountable and push for fairer policies to support those who have dedicated their lives to serving our country.

My name is Mandy Driver and I work for Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks. Within my role as a Customer & Community Advisor, I help support vulnerable people in our region if they are experiencing a power cut, through either a planned repair to our network or an emergency electrical fault, as well as ideas to be prepared and resilient in their own home. 

Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks provide a Free Priority Service Register (PSR); this is a register for vulnerable people. In turn, this allows us to highlight PSR customers when there is a fault, or if there are planned power outages. During a power outage or our Priority Team will contact PSR’s affected and check if any requirements are needed. There is also a free phone number whereby, once registered, customers can call our Priority Team and not queue for a quick response to any worries about their power.  

As we own the network and are not the supplier, it doesn’t matter what supplier people are with, they all would benefit. 

I would love to arrange a meeting, whereby we can use your organisation as a platform to explain to your local community, the welfare previsions that are available during power outages. To also see if we can work together to help your community further. 

YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FREE PSR SERVICES IF YOU:

• Use medical equipment reliant on electricity or water.

• Are blind or partially sighted.

• Are deaf or hard of hearing.

• Are of pensionable age.

• Have a disability.

• Live with children under five.

• Have a chronic illness.

• Have anxiety, depression, or any mental health condition.

• Loss or impairment of smell.

• Need documents translated into another format or language.

• Temporarily need extra support, maybe you are recovering from an illness or have recently been discharged from hospital.

Having already attended lots of WI meetings to discuss the above, I have had amazing feedback and are currently receiving diary dates for 2025. If you would like me to attend so I could talk about any of the above then please do not hesitate to contact me at your earliest convenience, this service is extremely informative and without charge.

Best regards,

Mandy Driver

Customer Liaison Officer

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Wessex Region, New Forest Depot, Minstead, Nr Lyndhurst, SO43 7PE

Getting ‘Discover’ Ready

The L&D team are working hard to get Discover ready for CTOs to start putting courses on. 

In the meantime, people can and should still register on Discover.  It is easier to iron out log-in problems at the moment rather than when there are lots of users registered.

To set-up your profile, the URL is https://learn.britishlegion.org.uk/learn
You can use your County, Branch or personal email to set-up your account. 

Once your profile is set-up, there will be no need to go back into the system until I advise that courses have been uploaded and made available.

Click on the link for a guidance sheet Creating Your Discover Account (Members)

Another great way to collect for the Poppy Appeal.

Donate Foreign Coins & Notes at Sainsbury’s Travel Money Bureaux. Sainsbury’s has a long association with The Royal British Legion and are always looking at ways to generate new funds for the charity.

You can donate your unwanted foreign coins and banknotes to The Royal British Legion at your local Sainsbury’s Travel Money Bureau. Simply take your currency along to the Bureau and pop it in the donation box – It’s that simple.