It is sad that the Royal British Legion has been forced to celebrate its centenary at the same time as a crisis that has resulted in the imposition of the most draconian constraints on personal freedom since the Second World War, and perhaps ever. The irony is that the Legion was born to cope with the human consequences of the Great War which itself was the greatest crisis to strike Europe for a hundred years.

Today, there is no shortage of people coming together to try to help others cope with the physical and mental fallout of the pandemic. Whether these organisations have the longevity of the Legion remains to be seen, but that longevity is based on relevance and utility. Had the Royal British Legion lacked those two characteristics it would not have survived to celebrate its hundredth birthday. It will only survive a further century if it remains relevant and useful and these two characteristics depend, largely, upon the attitudes and actions of its members.

To the Royal British Legion, happy birthday.

To the members, congratulations on a job well done, but “hark for’ard” not back as that is where the challenges lie.