Sunday, 13 November 2011
Tenbury Memorial Parade 2011
I don't know if it's my imagination but the Tenbury Wells & District Memorial parade seems to be getting bigger each year. Once again bright sunshine and this year warm temperatures welcomed the representatives from the many local forces & uniformed organisations as well as representatives from the three levels of local councils. There was even a representative from Royal Mail & (if I heard correctly) The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes.
Additional Photographs.
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5 comments:
The Royal Mail are always on parade, they are always just behind the fire service.
SPLENDID!
16th November 2011
Have only just found the Tenbury blog and it looks as if I have been missing something really worthwhile. Congratulations to whoever set it up - a lot of hard work must go into maintaining it, which is appreciated.
I must however say how disappointed I am at the tone of the comments made by Ian. As far as I understood it, the Royal British Legion and Help for the Heroes are not in competition; in fact I was pleased to read recently that work has started on the building of a new Personnel Recovery Centre in the Colchester Garrison, which will provide residential accommodation for, as far as I recall, 29 soldiers and 31day attendees; the building's capital costs have apparently been funded by a grant from Help for Heroes, whilst the Centre's running costs will be met by the Royal British Legion. I am sure that the Government must be delighted that both Charities, and probably others, are using their funds this way; at least there is help being offered to those service men and women who are left suffering disability as a result of injuries received on duty. Let us not forget that, as I believe it, both Charities are set up in different ways. The giving of grants by Help for Heroes is great, but there must be additional administrative costs in the day to day asssistance being provided by the Royal British Legion to individuals, both ex-service and dependants, who may encounter difficulties for example in accessing, or appealing against DSS decisions on benefits, which presumably would require the employment of experienced case workers.
I do agree with Ian though on the funding of the RBL Social Clubs, which I have always believed are self funded; indeed not all Branches of the RBL have Social Clubs in their towns - Tenbury Wells is one such case
On the whole I agree with Mary T's post. I think I have already acknowledged (incidentally, on a different part of this site) the contribution made by the RBL. But no charitable body can be beyond questioning and scrutiny - which is precisely why we have a Charity Commission (even if it is not always very effective).
Welcome Mary.
I also tend to agree with Ian that whilst undoubtedly the British Legion do some wonderful things, they also need to keep "expenses" in check, or they need to offer a clear explanation why they have crept up, it might be as simple as they have employed additional staff to assist servicemen with appeals, or they have directly employed medical staff or therapists, or another 6 PR officers!
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