Legion Facts


	The Royal British Legion safeguards the welfare, interests and memory of serving and ex-Service people and their families and dependants
	The Legion was founded in 1921.
	Some 9.5 million people in the UK are eligible to ask for its help.
	The Legion is one of the UK's largest membership organisations, with around 380,000 members (including the Women's Section). Anyone can be a member, ex-Service or not.
	You don't have to be a Legion member to receive assistance – but you must be an ex-Service person or a dependant. Anyone who has been in the British Armed Forces for seven days or more (and their dependants) is eligible for help.
	People as young as 17.5 years can be sent on active service, so veterans are often much younger than people realise.
	There has only been one year (1968) since the Second World War when a British Service person hasn't been killed on active service.
	Each year the Legion answers thousands of calls for help to its helpline, Legionline.
	It helps with a huge range of issues, including counselling, job retraining, skills assessment, getting the right pensions and benefits, advice and interest free loans for setting up small businesses, welfare grants, pilgrimages to war graves, convalescent and nursing care, and home and hospital visits.
	The Legion has close links to many other charities, organisations and trusts, enabling it to draw on the best resources and expertise, and to refer people to those best equipped to help them.
	The Legion will be needed for as long as people continue to be affected by conflict. It doesn't advocate war but is simply there to support those who have been prepared to make a personal sacrifice through serving in the British Armed Forces.
	The Poppy Appeal raised almost £31 million in 2008.
	In 2008 the Legion spent over £100 million on its work. Apart from donations, funds come from legacies, sponsorship, corporate support and fundraising events.
	In 2008 we helped more than 100,000 people in need with our Poppy Support services.
	For every pound raised 80p goes towards achieving our objectives and of that 6.6p goes towards our support costs.
	300,000 staff and volunteers organise the Poppy Appeal each year.
	More than 30 million Remembrance poppies, 500,000 poppies of other types, 5 million remembrance petals, 100,000 wreaths and sprays, 750,000 Remembrance Crosses and other Remembrance items are made at the Poppy Factory in Richmond, Surrey, each year.
	More than 70% of the workers at the Poppy Factory are disabled or suffer from chronic illness. The Factory was designed to offer jobs to such people and its remit remains the same today.