This brand new Legion campaign is:-

• Raising public awareness of what the Legion does in local North Staffordshire communities
• Promoting the Legion as an active membership organisation
• Inviting local people to get involved with welfare and membership activities.

Legion in the Community recognises the importance of local communities to the Legion's welfare work, membership activities and fundraising effort.

Put simply, Legion in the Community is telling people:

• what the Legion does with the Poppy Appeal funds
• who does it
• how they can get involved.

It's a community-based campaign driven by local volunteers and Legion branch members and co-ordinated at county level. It is running as a pilot project in:

Legion branches across 10 counties/districts organised special events, open days and other community-based activities and new events or used the campaign to strengthen and promote existing community-based events.

• Berkshire
• Cornwall
• Essex
• Lancashire
• Leicestershire & Rutland
• Northern Ireland
• North Wales
• North West London
• Nottinghamshire
• South & West Yorkshire

Responses from counties and districts involved in the Legion in the Community Pilot Project have been extremely encouraging with a wide range of events and activities taking place. Members of the public have found out more about the work and services of the Legion in their community

Here are what some visitors to a branch open day in North West London said:

"I never knew what the Royal British Legion did with the Poppy Appeal money"

"I thought you were just for ex-service people"

"I've often passed this Legion branch and wondered what was inside"

Special marketing materials including banners, posters and leaflets are being used by those taking part in Legion in the Community. Carrying the message 'Working at the heart of our community', the materials are helping Legion staff and volunteers convey an image of the Legion as an active, important membership organisation with deep roots in the communities it serves.

Based on the success of the Pilot Project, and the commitment shown by the participants, the Legion in the Community campaign will be launched Legion-wide during 2005. Further details are in the TLF 7 Newsletter.