A centenary celebration was held in Welwyn Garden City for the Royal British Legion, while the local branch of the organisation is under threat of closure.
Representatives of the Welwyn Garden City branch of the Royal British Legion were joined by the Mayor of Welwyn Hatfield, Cllr Roger Trigg, at the Howardsgate War Memorial on Saturday, May 15.
At the conclusion of the short celebration and wreathe laying by the chair, Doug Caswell, the president of the Branch, Rev John Churcher, said: “As a branch we recognise that the lockdowns may have caused some financial pressures on people and families, but we continue to thank the people of Welwyn Garden City for their year-on-year support of the Poppy Appeal."
The British Legion was formed in 1921, in the aftermath of the First World War, to ensure that all who had served and sacrificed, along with their families, were given the support they needed and deserved.
The Welwyn Garden City Branch was formed in 1922 and became an incorporated member of national Royal British Legion in 1926.
The first Poppy Day Appeal locally was held in 1923, and raised £38 and 15 shillings. In 1940 the branch opened a Spitfire Fund and raised £1296, four shillings and two pence.
In 1978, following a public appeal and the generosity from local people, the Howardsgate memorial was commissioned, joining the war memorial at Hatfield Hyde that was built in 1919.
The welfare work of the Royal British Legion is made possible by the nation's generous support of the annual Poppy Appeal which in a normal year, raises some £50,000,000.
However, the Welwyn Garden City Branch faces a new challenge as soon there simply will not be enough active members to sustain the branch.
For the branch to keep functioning it needs more people to join.
If membership continues to fall the branch would eventually have to retire the standard - this would mean an end to official branch participation in the civic gatherings at Howardsgate and at Hatfield Hyde on Remembrance Sunday.
Active local branch voluntary members and helpers enable the Welwyn Garden City community to generously raise around £50,000 each year during the annual Poppy Appeal for the national work of the Royal British Legion.
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