WeekendPoppy PartyThe Great

10th, 11th and 12th June 2011

Your guide to planninga successful celebration party

Foreword by Lt Gen Sir John Kiszely KCB, MC

In celebrating its 90th anniversary, The Royal British Legion is in fact celebrating a longstanding connection with the people of the United Kingdom.

We estimate that almost one in six people in the UK has a direct Service connection - that is; has either served in the past, or is serving now, or is a family member of someone in Service past or present.

This means that a staggering 9.5 million people are eligible for the help of The Royal British Legion. We will be called upon to answer more than 160,000 calls for help in our 90th anniversary year; and it is a credit to our staff, volunteers and generous donors that we are able to meet this awesome responsibility.

Yet, if we take that Service connection one degree further, to include those who are friends, neighbours and co-workers of those with a Service connection, it’s hard to imagine anyone without some link to the Armed Forces past and present, and their dependants.

Through its work as an Armed Forces charity and as a campaigning and membership organisation, The Royal British Legion touches the lives of much of the nation. Through its role as national Custodian of Remembrance, the Legion is privileged to have not only a special place reserved in the nation’s hearts, but in the nation’s calendar as well.

Throughout the Poppy Appeal each November, millions choose to wear the poppy with pride, recognising the sacrifices made by our courageous Armed Forces in the knowledge that the monies donated will go directly to the assistance of the Armed Forces family.

I am particularly heartened to see the growing numbers of young people who are making a poppy statement.

We produced 44 million poppies to meet public demand in 2009, representing nearly a 50 per cent increase over five years earlier. Poppy Appeal donations meanwhile reached £33 million, an increase of more than 40 per cent over the same period.

I have every expectation that this impressive rate of growth will be met or exceeded in our 90th anniversary year.

Through events such as the Cenotaph march past on Remembrance Sunday and the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall (both watched by television audiences in the millions); and at war memorials in towns and cities across the UK, the Legion’s role in honouring sacrifice and respecting those in Service is highlighted each November.

But our role does not end there.

Throughout the year, Legion members in the tiny Wiltshire town of Wootton Bassett pause to salute the repatriation corteges from nearby RAF Lyneham.

Respect and reflection are also a daily occurrence at The Royal British Legion’s National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, home to the Armed Forces Memorial where the names of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in current conflicts are added annually. In 2010, a special ceremony was also held for the repatriation of the Basra Wall from Iraq.

It is not enough to honour the dead; we must also serve the living. I am particularly pleased that the Legion will take a more active role in the rehabilitation

of injured, sick and wounded Service personnel in its 90th anniversary year.

We have set aside £25 million for two projects which will provide an individually-tailored pathway for those injured in current conflict, leading them either back into Service or towards successful resettlement in a civilian career.

In partnership with the British Army, the Legion will operate four Personnel Recovery Centres providing assistance to injured personnel from all three Services - the first of these will open in 2011 at Colchester garrison.

We will also build, equip and operate The Royal British Legion Battle Back Challenge Centre, a centre of excellence for adaptive sport and adventure training for injured personnel.

Throughout the Legion’s history, the nature of armed conflict has changed; but the need to honour and support our Armed Forces has remained a constant. The Legion has always stood shoulder to shoulder with our Armed Forces family - and it will continue to do so, for the remainder of its first century and beyond.

I invite you to join the nationwide celebrations of the 90th anniversary of The Royal British Legion by hosting a Poppy Party on the weekend of June 10th-12th 2011 with family and friends, or with neighbours and work colleagues - please look elsewhere in this brochure for inspiration.

Lt Gen Sir John Kiszely KCB, MCNational President of The Royal British Legion

For ewo rd

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It may seem unusual to think of getting into party mood in the summer for something as serious as the welfare and campaigning work undertaken by The Royal British Legion, but we believe that we should all take pleasure in and celebrate the 90th anniversary of this remarkable organisation and the outstanding achievements of the Legion over the last 90 years with a carnival atmosphere and a great sense of fun, comradeship and togetherness.

That’s why we would love to see everyone joining in the Great Poppy Party Weekend on June 10th, 11th and 12th, 2011.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a barbecue, fancy dress event, karaoke night, masked ball, barn dance, games evening, a dress down day at school, or any one of so many other wonderful and inventive ways of partying. Just join us and the many local authorities throughout the UK in making it a memorable occasion for all those taking part.

At the same time the parties can raise valuable funds to further the welfare work of the Legion for the future, 90 years and more of helping millions of beneficiaries - soldiers, sailors and airmen/women who serve and have served their country at home and abroad, many at enormous personal cost to themselves and their families.

Your event might take place in your home or garden, with a breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, pyjama party, games night, cocktail evening, murder mystery, bridge or card game, toga or pool party - for family, friends and neighbours.

Maybe they’ll wear fancy dress, using the poppy as a theme where possible. Some events might be held at your local pub, hotel, restaurant, town/village hall,

on the village green or market square, at a nearby stately home or castle … or wherever your imagination takes you.

You could arrange a sporting event, outdoor or in, even with sponsored trophies to add to the fun and bring the community closer together over the weekend.

If you are already having a party to celebrate a wedding, birthday, anniversary or other special occasion on June 10th, 11th or 12th, 2011, why not make it part of the Great Poppy Party Weekend?

The more unlikely your ideas for a venue the better. In fact, we are running a competition for the most unusual party location - with a prize of £1,000 for the winner.

Whatever your event, wherever your celebration, we ask that you combine it with a raffle, auction, or even a simple donation to attend your party, to raise funds for The Royal British Legion.

It’s a chance not just to thank the Legion for its wonderful caring work over nine decades but to acknowledge its value to communities, individuals and of course, our future.

Finally, turn to pages 4-5 to find out where some poppy party organisers have already agreed to hold their events over the Great Poppy Party Weekend.

Bruno Peek OBE, MVO, OPRNational Coordinator

Please let us know about your party by logging on to www.thegreatpoppypartyweekend.org.uk to complete the party registration form. If you do not have access to the internet, please ring 01722 714937 to register your event.

For those raising money from events, please pay by cheque, payable to The Royal British Legion writing the following reference number on the back of the cheque (PPP10), sending it to: The Royal British Legion, 199 Borough High Street, London SE1 1AA Details for bank transfer.Account Name: RBL Fundraising HO A/cSort Code: 30-11-75Account No: 01937679Bank: Lloyds TSB Details for International bank transfer if necessary.BIC: LOYDGB21196IBAN: GB86 LOYD 3011 7501 9376 79

Poppy Party Packs will be available from 2nd January 2011, and will include the following items:

1) A white table cloth size (1.5m square) with the 90th anniversary logo and field of poppies image2) 12 x poppy napkins (2 ply)3) 6 x unbreakable beaker/ drinking glasses4) 6 x wristbands5) 6 x A6 invitation card (printed)6) A poppy frisbee size 18cm7) Packing box with colour printing8) A Poppy Party t-shirt (organiser)

The retail price of the Poppy Party Pack is £10.99 plus p&p. This includes a donation of £5.00 from the sale of each pack to The Royal British Legion. The Poppy Party Pack can be obtained fromwww.poppyshop.org.uk Telephone 0300 123 9110

I n t r odu c t i o n

Bruno Peek

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“The British Antarctic Survey team is delighted

to support this unique event by having the

coolest party on earth, at our Halley research

station in Antarctica, over the Poppy Party

Weekend, in celebration of The Royal British

Legion’s 90th anniversary.”

Matt Brown, Halley Base Commander,

the Antarctic.

“The Killyleagh Social Partnership are delighted to host a Great

Poppy Party Weekend event at Killyleagh Castle during this special

weekend. Killyleagh has a great tradition of service and sacrifice

and will rally round and support this event with great enthusiasm.

The 90th anniversary of The Royal British Legion comes at a time

when Service men and women from these shores are once again

in need of the Poppy Appeal and we look forward to both

celebrating the Anniversary and raising funds for the Appeal.”

Councillor Eddie Rea,

Chairman of the Killyleagh Social Partnership.

Killyleagh Castle, Northern Ireland.

“I can’t wait for The Royal British Legion celebrations. I’m going to invite all my friends to a poppy theme

fancy dress party and Mum says we can decorate the house too (it’s a good job red is my favourite colour!). We will have lots of party games and yummy food!”

Emily Takman aged 8, Oulton Village, Suffolk.

Poppy Parties far and wide...

Suggested party themes:

The Caravan Club is proud to support the Great Poppy Party

Weekend. Club sites nationwide will be hosting parties and Club

members will join in and enjoy the fun from all points north, south,

east, west and inbetween. The Great Poppy Party Weekend will be a

most fitting way to celebrate the achievements of The Royal British

Legion and to mark its 90th anniversary.

Grenville Chamberlain, Caravan Club Chairman

Pool Party

Cheese and Wine Party

Masked Ball

Birthday Party

Special Occasion Party

Dance Party

Pyjama Party

Themed Party

Game Night Party

Murder Mystery

Bridge or Card Game Party

“Spinnaker Tower is delighted to support the Great Poppy Party Weekend which celebrates The Royal British Legion’s 90th Anniversary in 2011. In its brief existence, the iconic

Spinnaker Tower is well placed with its birds eye view on one of Britain’s most historic naval ports and we are only too aware of the sacrifices that all Forces personnel and their

families make during and after active Service. We are truly honoured and proud to celebrate the achievements of The

Royal British Legion. To the 380,000 members we say a huge thank you. We look forward to lending support to what is

such a fantastic and important cause.”Juliana Delaney,Chief Executive Officer for the Continuum Group

Toga Party

Beach Party

BBQGarden Party

Cocktail/Drinks Party

Tea Party

Safari Supper Party

Dinner Party

Children’s Party

Bowling Party

Karaoke Party

Lunch Party

Brunch Party

Supper Party

Poppy Party

(fancy dress / poppy skirts)

Mike and Tracy from the Tan Hill Inn, Britain’s highest Inn located in the heart of the

Yorkshire Dales National Park, are delighted to be taking part in The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Party Weekend in celebration of this

charity’s 90th anniversary celebrations.

“The Cadet Forces are very strong supporters of The Royal British Legion and are especially excited to help launch the 90th anniversary with the Poppy Parties giving the Cadets the

opportunity to mix with other Units and the public. Our Unit, 215 (City of Swansea) Squadron is going to celebrate at four different

lighthouses in Wales and on the top of Pen Y Fan Mountain.”Squadron Leader, Phillip Flower,Community Fund Raiser (South West Wales)

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“As Chairman of The Royal British Legion I applaud this unique,

fun initiative, as it will provide The Royal British Legion with a

summer event that can be organised, inviting family and

friends, and I will be hosting a Poppy Party in my garden at my

home, using it to raise valuable funds to assist us in helping

others that have served their country at home and abroad”.

John Farmer,

Chairman, The Royal British Legion

“Hello I’m only 11 and my name is appropriately Poppy Potter and my

brother is Harry Potter, he’s only 8 and was born on Halloween! Our grandad

and Dad own Potters Leisure Resort, which was started a long while ago by

my great great Granddad Potter, who fought in the First World War. Potters

has won loads of awards and was the first 5-star holiday village in the whole

country. One day Potters will ALL be ours but in the meantime we do hope

you will look at our website (www.pottersholidays.com) and join us in the

Poppy Party Weekend while staying with us over the party weekend.

Poppy and Harry Potter.

“I am delighted to confirm that we will take part in this

unique event to enable us to raise funds for The Royal British

Legion as part of their 90th anniversary celebrations, by

organising a sponsored riverside walk and afternoon tea on

the village green, in the Parish of Stokesby, Norfolk.”

Malcolm Lake, a Stokesby resident.

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90 G l o r i o u s Yea r sIn 2011 we celebrate our 90th birthday. Over those years, we have seen changes which were unimaginable in 1921. The way nations wage war has changed dramatically, and so has the way we care for the men and women returning from war.

With British troops still involved in Afghanistan, and other conflicts around the world, the need for the Legion is greater than ever. We’ve achieved a huge amount over the past 90 years... with your help, we’ll achieve even more in the next 90.

The Royal British Legion was formed to help the soldiers returning from the Great War to a country which had no jobs or homes for them. In 1921, over 600,000 able-bodied ex-Service men were unemployed - many reduced to selling matches in the street and tramping the countryside looking for work.

Something had to be done.

The Royal British Legion was set up in July 1921, and that November saw the first Poppy Day. The following year poppies were being made at the Legion’s Poppy Factory in the Old Kent Road. The factory was the first of many Legion initiatives to provide work for disabled men and women.

The poppies raised money that helped ex-Service men set up as blacksmiths, dairymen, butchers, barbers, window cleaners or painters and decorators.

The depression years of the 1930s affected millions of families. To help them, the Legion launched an ‘Employment Week’, which helped place hundreds of ex-Servicemen in permanent work.

A proud past, an important future.

At the beginning of World War Two, the Legion found itself fighting for the pension rights of disabled Service men and women. In 1945, three country houses were bought as care homes for veterans; by 1950 the Legion was running four homes for pensioners and four convalescent homes.

In 1964, faced with a growing number of veterans who could no longer manage alone in their homes, the Legion set up a Housing Association, which helped to house 19,000 people.

During the 1960s and 1970s, people thought they had seen an end to traditional wars - then came the Falklands conflict in 1982. We ensured that widows and next of kin of casualties were treated better financially than any of their predecessors. During the first Gulf War, we also sent out 25,000 food parcels to British Forces in the Gulf.

Today the Legion is needed more than ever. We are determined to rise to the challenge of meeting the growing needs of the serving and ex-Service community. Over the next few years we will provide:

More support for serving families. We will help provide over 2,000 family breaks and 400 Adventure Breaks for the children of Service personnel away on operations.

New support for injured serving personnel. In one of our biggest initiatives, we will contribute £20 million to run new Personnel Recovery Centres - including building an adaptive sports centre - to help

injured British troops, particularly those returning from Afghanistan. These will provide individual care and support for wounded or long-term sick soldiers to get them back on duty or civilian life as soon as possible. The Centres, which will be funded by the Legion for the next 10 years and more, will also provide vital support to the families of the injured.

Increased support for families of the bereaved. The Legion will undertake to provide Independent

Inquest Advice to 200 families and commission a new support network for bereaved families.

More help for our veteran community. We will increase the numbers of veterans receiving compensation, war pension

advice and representation; we will also provide career advice and

small business grants to new service leavers. We will improve our Immediate

Needs Scheme, targeted to support 21,500 veterans and their families.

Expansion of Poppy Support services. We will grow our Poppy Calls ‘handyman’ fleet to reach 15,000 veterans in their homes and increase the number of beds in our homes and provide 5,000 people with breaks. This year this will include 300 families of injured serving personnel and bereaved family members.

Please show our brave Service men and women and their families how much you appreciate their sacrifices on our behalf and help The Royal British Legion give them the lifelong care they deserve for another 90 glorious years. Thank you.

If you are inviting personal guests to your home it is worth checking with your household insurer that you are covered in the unfortunate circumstances that they should have an accident. If your event includes inviting the public, or it is at a third party venue then, where applicable, the following advice should be heeded.

LicensingGenerally, all public entertainment has to be licensed by the local authority. The law on this aims to ensure the safety of the public and performers. Local authorities treat each event individually, and what one will allow another may not. Do not be put off by the length of some of the forms - the licensing officer is there to help you.

The licensing officer’s job is to advise the local authority’s licensing committee on the granting of public entertainment licences. For small scale events he or she, in effect, makes the decisions. Only if your event is contentious will the licensing committee decide to consider the application in detail. Talk to the licensing officer as soon as possible. In Northern Ireland, if you plan to sell alcohol at an event, you will need to apply for an occasional liquor licence from the Northern Ireland Court Service.

LiabilityThe organiser of each Event shall ensure that it has in force public liability insurance for the Event in a sum not less than £2 million for each incident. The Legion shall have no liability for the Event howsoever arising whether under contract tort or breach of statutory duty or otherwise except in the case of death or personal injury caused by the Legion’s negligence.

InsuranceSometimes the local authority’s insurance policy will cover you if you hire a park or venue from them. Otherwise the licensing officer will direct you to a suitable specialist company or broker. Do not try to source this kind of insurance from a non specialist.

Emergency servicesTell the police well in advance about the type of event you are planning and get in

touch with your local community police officer. Write to the fire brigade and ambulance service, particularly if you are planning to have fireworks, or an event that will attract large crowds. St John Ambulance and the Red Cross will provide first aid and sometimes a vehicle. In some areas they are simply happy to receive a donation. In others, expect a fee to be charged.

Food and drinkBasic food hygiene guidelines should be followed if you are providing food and

drink. Caterers must have food hygiene certificates. Advice on this subject can be obtained from your local council environmental health officer.

AlcoholIf you want to sell alcohol you will need to secure a licence. From February 2005,

licences are granted by the local authority rather than the Magistrates Court. You should therefore contact your local authority licensing section and seek information from them on how to apply.

Site clearanceThe local authority will arrange for clearance and disposal of litter after your

event if it is on public ground (check for charges). You can help this process by arranging litter bins or recycling bins around the site, and a crew to clear up throughout the event. (In some cases you may be charged by local authorities if they are collecting your rubbish after the event, so please do not forget to recycle.

Hiring or borrowing equipmentYour local authorities, scout and guide troops, and local event

organisers may be able to help you with contacts for supplies such as marquees, portable toilets, barriers and bunting, or may in some cases have these for you to hire or borrow. You may also need to consider generators, a public address system, and emergency flood lighting. Contact names and address for hiring the facilities can be sourced through the internet.

All ability accessAccess for disabled groups is very important. Many local authorities run

community transport schemes. Talk to them about arranging transport. On green field sites access can be improved by cutting the grass before your event. It is always good practice to allocate one or more stewards, to assist disabled people when arriving at your event.

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Le ga l Es s e n t i a l s a nd Saf e t y

Registered Charity: The Royal British Legion,199 Borough High Street, London SE1 1AARegistered Charity Number: 219279

Contact details for the Great Poppy Party Weekend 10th, 11th & 12th June 2011.

Bruno Peek OBE, MVO, OPRNational Coordinator

Tel: 01722 714937Fax: 01722 714720Email: info@thegreatpoppypartyweekend.org.ukWeb: www.thegreatpoppypartyweekend.org.uk

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