RBL Herford - News Letter

Herford Branch

News Letter

JANUARY 2010

Dear Members

It is with sadness that I have to inform you of the passing of a former very active Branch and Legion member on the 6 th December 2009 at the age of 51 after a long illness. Sandra Hutchinson was our Branch and Membership Secretary from 2000 to 2003 and she was also very active in raising funds for the Poppy Appeal. Sandra’s husband Michael was a former District Secretary and she moved with him to Rheindahlen before he left the Army and they settled in Nuneaton where Sandra became the Secretary of her local Branch. Sandra touched the heart of many people; she was always cheerful and helpful to anyone with a problem and will be sorely missed by a great many people. The Branch sent it’s condolences to her husband Michael and Helen Hefferman attended the funeral at her own expense where she carried the Branch Standard. A very very big thank you goes out to Helen from myself and all Branch members for representing the Branch and carrying the Branch Standard.

BRANCH EVENTS

The past year has been extremely busy for the Branch and many activities have taken place either internally or externally, some well attended and some not. Since the last newsletter the following Branch events have taken place.

On the 20 th September we were invited to display an information stand at the Recycling Borse Herford open day to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Sgt Damon Scaife from the Regimental Restaurant took the time to cook us a very large portion of extremely delicious vegetable soup which we sold out of in less than 2 hours. The National Vice Chairman John Farmer and his wife Georgina visited the Branch on this day and also took the time to visit our display stand. They were very impressed with the Branches facilities and commented that they could not believe that we were in a “cellar”. I would like to extend my thanks to Marion Perry, Britta Hemken and Jens Hefferman for manning the information stand and serving the food and also to the Recycling Borse who donated €100.00 to our poppy appeal. The whole day was a very good Public Relations exercise for the Branch and the Legion in general with many people visiting the stand and expressing an interest in what we do.

The Poppy Ball held on 26th September 2009 was once again a huge success. All members and guests who attended had a very enjoyable evening. We were once again entertained by Billie Cuthbertson and his band the Beatliners and by the line dancing group “cock a hoop” who performed superbly for us at short notice. The meal was once again of the highest quality and many members commented upon this. See the photos of the event on the picture gallery link on our website under Poppy Ball 2009. A big thank you goes to Petra Marshall, Richard Pollard, Sheila Palm, Emma Whittaker and Derek Haydon who gave their time over a period of three weekends at the NAAFI to sell raffle and Ball tickets. A massive thank you also goes out to the Poppy Ball Committee comprising of Mike Tanser, Alan O’Hare, Petra Marshall, Eddie Hefferman, Helen Hefferman, Jens Hefferman, Marion Perry Scooter Allford and Sheila Palm. I would also like to thank Richard Pollard who though was not on the Committee also helped out – I have your name already pencilled in for next year’s event Richard. Without these Branch members giving their time in organising and setting up the event and cleaning up the next day the event would not have been the huge success it was. We are reverting back next year to holding the Poppy Ball in November to coincide with Remembrance tide. Please make a note in your diary that the Poppy Ball will be held next year on Saturday 27th November, again at the Haus des Burgers.

The Branch Annual General Meeting was held on Saturday 17th October 2009. The following Branch members were elected to serve as Branch Officers for the coming year. Chairman – Mike Tanser, Vice Chairman – Petra Marshall, Secretary – Terry Salmon and Treasurer – Tom Moran. The following members were elected to serve on the Committee; Scooter Allford, Baz Davies, Helen Hefferman, Jens Hefferman, Britta Hemken, Marion Perry. Richard Pollard, Eddie Sirp and Mark Whittaker. The Branch President John Walker MBE presented on behalf of the Chairman Branch Appreciation Certificates to Helmut Wolsdorf, Sheila Palm, John Chambers, Marion Perry, Jens Hefferman, Derek Hayden, Scooter Allford, Helen Hefferman, Britta Hemken, Terry Chambers, Tom Moran, Eddie Hefferman MBE and Terry Salmon who were in attendance at the meeting. The Chairman also presented a certificate to the President John Walker MBE. Members not in attendance who were also awarded a certificate were Helma Godley, Petra Marshall, Carol Wood, Peter Wood, Tracy Phillips, Keith Dodds, David Wilkinson and Alan O’Hare.

The Station Remembrance Day service was well attended by Branch members including the Reservistenkameradschaft Herford, the scouts, cubs, girl guides and brownies parading with the Branch to march to the service in the gymnasium in Hammersmith Barracks. The scouts beat their drums to keep the marching pace with Thommo Thompson the District Parade Marshall keeping the parade in step. All Standard Bearers on parade did the Branch and their own organisations proud and superb photographs appeared on the front cover and inside of the December issue of the Herford Herald. The Branch was also represented at the London event by Mike Tanser, John Walker MBE, Terry Salmon and Eddie Sirp.

A great many members expressed their dismay in the way that they were treated at the Station Remembrance Service which was a hot topic of debate at a committee meeting. Both myself and Eddie Hefferman MBE attended the planning meeting and it was detailed in an Admin Order that the Legion would have the first 3 rows on the left hand side of the Gymnasium for the service but for some reason, the Station Padre decided to ignore the Admin Order and do things his own way. As this event was beyond the Branches control, our President John Walker wrote to both the Acting Commanding Office and the Station Padre expressing our concerns and we have been assured in writing from the Acting Commanding Officer that we will be allocated the first three rows on the left hand side of the gymnasium for next years and future services.

The event in the Branch after the service was a great success with many Branch members attending along with the wife’s and children of the Military who were deployed on Operations in Afghanistan. I would like to thank Thommo Thompson the District Parade Marshall for marching the Branches contingent to the service and also Cpl Woods from the Signals Regiment for carrying the Queens Colours and Petra Marshal and Tom Moran for holding the fort whilst I was attending the London event. The Vice Chairman Petra Marshall mentioned each individual by name at the Branch meeting on the 2 nd December who had contributed on the day to make the event the success it was.

On the 21st November a trip took place to the Danekamp Garden Centre in Holland. Though only 6 members attended, all had a good day which was testament to the fact that the minibus was packed full with purchases. Thanks go to Terry Salmon for driving the minibus.

Over the period 27th/28th November the Branch had a Bric a Brac stall at the Station Christmas Fayre. My thanks go to Marion Perry and Petra Marshall for manning the stall and also to Helen Hefferman for manning the Women’s Section Stall. We raised the sum of €164.50 towards the Poppy Appeal. I would like to thank WO2 Colin Sinclair the RCWO for very generously providing us with a large Christmas cake which we donated to the organisers to raffle off as a prize.

At the Branch Meeting on the 2nd December I had a surprise for two members of the Branch when they were presented with the Legions third highest award. The President, John Walker MBE presented on my behalf Gold Badges to Tom Moran and Helen Hefferman along with a copy of their citations. Congratulations to both Tom and Helen on an award well deserved. It is not easy to earn the award of a Gold Badge and it has to go through many processes before it finally reaches the desk of the National Chairman who has the final say if the member deserves the award or not. It was indeed an honour for the Branch that two members were judged as worthy recipients of this award.

On the 5th December we held a Legion’s got Talent Night. The event was unfortunately not well attended by Branch Members but the numbers were made up by members of the District who had stayed over night following the District Meetings. Those members who did attend had a very enjoyable evening and we were superbly entertained all evening by all participants who took part and joined in the spirit of things. I wish to extend my thanks to all of you who took the time and effort to keep us entertained on the night. At the end of the evening, the District Chairman Steve Reid presented a bottle of champagne to Dusty Miller from the Paderborn Branch whom he judged to be the best all round entertainer of the night. Dusty promptly shared the bottle with all who had participated in the event – well done Dusty.

Unfortunately we had to cancel two events. The first one being the Christmas market trip on the 12th December as their was no transport available on the day. The second event was the children’s Christmas Party on the 20th December as not one parent had indicated on the performa on the Branch notice board that their child would be attending which we required for catering purposes.

Once again, there was a good attendance at the New Years Eve Party. Richard Pollard and Jens Hefferman entertained the members and guests with Disco Music with Eddie Hefferman providing a delicious Scottish broth. Unfortunately, we were unable to have our traditional fireworks display this year due to the Branch being informed by the Station SHEF manager that due to a recent accident at a function and under Health and Safety regulations that a risk assessment had to be carried out for us to have a firework display. One of the assessments was that the Branch had to carry liability insurance for such an event. We therefore contacted our insurers and were informed that we were not covered under our policy for such an event and following further advice, we had no choice other than to cancel the event. We will be looking in the New Year for an insurer who will cover us for such an event at a very reasonable cost.

Bingo is held each Friday evening with eyes down at 2000 hrs. This is a very popular event and an enjoyable evening is had by all. The bingo evenings also raise money for our Poppy Appeal, so why not come along and join in and also bring your friends along.

Many Branch functions are already planned or being planned for the coming year. Please check the notice board in the Branch or the web site www.rblherford.de under events. These Branch events cannot be a success without your participation, so please come along and support where you can.

The District Annual General Meeting was held in Rheindahlen on the 16th January 2010 which was attended by 4 members of the Branch. In the Women’s Section Standard Bearers competition Helen Hefferman carrying the Women’s Section Standard was awarded first place. In the open Branch competition and this time carrying the Branch Standard she achieved a very credible second place, only being beaten by Keith Smith of the Paderborn Branch– congratulation and well done Helen. The guest speakers at the event were Major General Nick Caplin, the General Officer Commanding United Kingdom Support Command and Peter Cleminson the National Chairman of the Royal British Legion who both gave informative and interesting speeches. The Branches bid to host District Conference in Herford in January 2011 was I am pleased to say successful. We were in contention with the Fallingbostel-Heide Branch and the votes cast from the Branches delegates were 9 for Herford and 5 for Fallingbostel-Heide. 2011 is also the Royal British Legions 90th Anniversary and hosting this event will certainly start the Branches year off to a good start. The weekend was rounded off with a party in the Rheindahlen Branch who made us all more than welcome.

POPPY APPEAL

The Branch raised €11,153.44 for the 2009 Poppy Appeal. Though this was down on the previous years total this was due to a large donation of €5,000.00 received the previous year. It was, nevertheless, a very considerable sum and I wish to thank everyone who worked so hard on our behalf over the year to raise funds to support our Poppy Appeal.

Over the year, the following donations were received for our Poppy Appeal from individuals or organisations:

Mrs Z Scott - €76.99 from a table top sale held at the NAAFI shopping complex

The Herford Events Group - €160.00 from a bingo event

The Recycling Borse Herford - €100.00 from their 25th anniversary open day

The Anglo German Group - €20.00

Mrs G Campbell - €50.00

Herford Station - €500.00 which was accepted on behalf of the Branch by Derek Haydon

Remembrance Service Church collection - €1194.65

The Branch raised €11,153.44 for the 2009 Poppy Appeal

Our loyal Bingo crowd - €714.00

The Station HCSO Office Staff - €112.00

Mr S MacKinnon - €76.99 from the sale of film posters at the Conference Centre

The WO’s and Sgt’s Mess - €150.00

Dr Holtman’s veterinary practice - €150.00

NOTICES

Legion Members are able to use the Library facilities in Hammersmith Barracks upon production of their Membership or Veterans cards. The library is situated in Block one on the lower ground floor next to the SSVC shop.

HQ UKSC have considered ways by which links between Veterans and members of BFG can be improved to all our mutual benefit. They would very much like to hear from you if you are interested in being kept informed about this initiative. A link has been provided by HQ UKSC on the BFG Net for all veterans giving valuable and current information. Please take the time to register your details on the Support to Veterans in Germany link. This takes only a matter of minutes and the more response that is received the better is it for us veterans living here in Germany. To register your details Click Here or go to the following link to the BFG Net at http://bfgnet.de or alternatively you can access the BFG Net link via our Branch links page.

Are you aware that all veterans living in Germany can apply for a Veterans Installations Pass which will give you access to all Garrisons and Stations within British Forces Germany. It is issued for a period of up to 3 years (dependant on security clearances) and you may take up to 4 family members with you at any one time. Visitors will have to show valid proof of identity (i.e. passport or ID Card) and must be signed in and out of the Garrison/Station at all times. The pass also allows you to use the dining facilities within the camps in JB’s Restaurants and also the NAAFI to purchase a newspaper or immediate consumable goods only at this time. To apply for your Veterans Installation Pass, go to the link http://www.bfgnet.de and click BFG Veterans page followed by the link Veterans BFG Installation Passes to download an application form. If you do not have access to the internet then please contact the Chairman Mike Tanser who will be happy give you an application form. Once you have completed the application form and have the necessary supporting documents as listed, you can either phone the pass office in Hammersmith Guardroom on 05221 9953145 to make an appointment to hand in your completed forms, or alternatively, you can drop them into the Branch and I will hand them in for you.

25% German Rail discount offer includes Veterans . This generous offer has been agreed between BFG and DB Bahn, the German rail network. The deal will run as a pilot scheme between 1st October 2009 to 30th September 2010. The offer is open to all Service personnel wherever they are based, dependants, all BFG employees including DEL staff and Veterans on production of a valid MOD 90, BFG issued ID card or BFG Veterans Installation Pass. In brief, the main offer is:

A 25% reduction on 2 nd class standard fares purchased through the German rail operator DB Bahn. This applies to tickets purchased at the time of travel and up to 30 days in advance of the date of the journey
Children up to 14 years of age can travel free when accompanied by an adult and named on the adults ticket (Veterans pass must be carried as proof of status)
Services available in this offer extend right across the German rail network, whether long or short distance trains, including Intercity-Express (ICE), Intercity and Eurocity (IC/EC), InterRegio-Epress )IRE), Stadt-Express (SE) and the S-Bahn.

The main booking terms are:

The Discount tickets will only be available on presentation of an official BFG Installation Access Pass which must be carried with you at all times.
The discounted tickets may not be used for duty journeys or for daily commuting between home and place of work or education.
You will not receive the discount on City Night Line (CNL) Euro Night (EN) or DB Autozug-motor rail services.
If you book an international rail journey, the discount will only apply to the German section of the journey.
First Class rail travel is not currently available, but is under discussion.

The following 29 stations across BFG will provide the 25% discount:

Bad Oeynhausen	Hameln	DB 6 Mönchengladbach
Bielefeld Hbf	Hannover Hbf	München Hbf
Bückeburg	Herford	Münster (Westf) Hbf
Bonn Hbf	Kempten (Allg) Hbf	Neuss
Celle	Kiel Hbf	Obersdorf
Dülmen	Köln Hbf	Osnabrück Hbf
Düsselford Flughafen	Krefeld Hbf	Paderborn Hbf
Frankfurt (M) Flughafen	Landstuhl (FAG)	Sontofen
Geilenkirchen	Minden (West) Hbf	Gütersloh Hbf
Mönchengladback HBF

For those of you who travel by train, this is yet another incentive to apply for your Veterans Installation Pass. I myself have used the offer and experienced no problems whatsoever in obtaining the 25% discount.

As a reminder, all veterans of HM Forces are entitled to apply for and wear the Armed Forces Veterans Badge. Go to the link http://www.veterans-uk.info/new_badge/badge.html to apply for your badge which only takes a matter of weeks to receive along with a certificate of entitlement. If you do not have access to the internet please contact Mike Tanser who will be happy to assist you in obtaining the badge For information, serving Military personnel are issued with the badge when they leave the Armed Forces and therefore cannot apply for it through this route.

For those history buffs amongst you or if you are just nostalgic about the past and the barracks and areas where you served in the old BAOR, there is a very interesting web site that’s full of interesting photographs and the history of the various barracks. Did you know for example that Block F in Wentworth Barracks where our Branch is situated used to be a hospital during the war. Go to the link www.baor-locations.com to find out more.

As in previous years, we will be holding a Branch and garden spring clean day on Saturday 17th April after the long winter. I would like to encourage as many members as possible to attend to help out as many hands make light work. Food and beverages will be make available to all those who turn up on the day to help out. Please meet at the Branch at 1030 hrs.

In closing, I would ask you all to bear in mind the Legions mission, which is to safeguard the welfare, interests and memory of those who are serving or have served in the Armed Forces. At the time of going to print, our Armed Forces in Afghanistan have already lost 2 service personnel killed in action this year and 108 last year alone. Our services are being called upon more and more for help, not only by Veterans but also many serving personnel . I therefore ask you to question yourself, are you just a badge carrier or could you help to raise funds for our appeal by attending the Branch and supporting our functions, carry out fund raising events or just helping out in any small way. The Branch is in need of Welfare Caseworkers, whom without; we could not continue our vital work. We currently rely upon the good will and dedication of a handful of case workers to carry out this vital work on our behalf so that we can help veterans and service personnel and their dependents in their time of need. If you feel that you have a few hours to spare and wish to get involved in a very worthwhile cause, please contact the Chairman Mike Tanser.

I would like to wish you all a very prosperous and happy New Year.

Mike Tanser

Branch Chairman

Webmaster Keith Dodds