Where the heck...? Spondon sits on the eastern edge of suburban Derby, it’s not famous for much unless you race motorcycles (Spondon engineering is a world leader in frames). It’s the bit with two churches on the left as you leave Derby towards the M1 on the A52. Spondon village holds a fair bit of history and like many similar locations is clinging on to it’s community spirit. To the east is a green belt of 100 yards before you get to Erewash Valley and to the north it’s still possible to drive all the way to Yorkshire without driving through a town. From Dale Park in Spondon, you can see Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and on bonfire night, get a free fireworks spectacular.

Derbyshire is the long thin county that has borders with Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire and starts at the bottom of the Pennine Way right down to the New National Forest.

Legion Overview..
Ask anyone about the British Legion and they’ll tell you, it’s a club for old blokes wearing flat hats, who drink mild whilst the whippet sits under the bench and play cribbage whilst the wives play bingo. Once a year they wear a blazer and shove a red box in your face to sell you a paper poppy for 5p. They are, quite often, wrong.

Wake up...it’s 2009!
The Royal British Legion nationally is proud of it’s female members, younger members and even junior members who enjoy the fellowship, the cheap nights out and the social and charity events. Spondon British legion doesn’t have a club house, so whippets aren’t invited, the smart club we use doesn’t sell mild and I’m not sure they have a cribbage board, anyway, our active lady members don’t play bingo. Not all of our members have served, except perhaps drinks from behind a bar, not all are over 60, in fact, some are under 30! and a couple don’t have a blazer, or a flat hat.. The club was re-formed in 1962 and used to meet in a tin shack on Gravel Pit Lane and if you’re reading this from afar, it looked as exotic as it sounds!

Fellowship
We get together once a month and chew the cud, sometimes we get out and about to other branches and enjoy a pint and a bit of cabaret, and we get together for a remembrance parade and service that attracts HUNDREDS, this year we were proud to have a smart new Standard and our own Sergeant Major - Eyes RIGHT!

Fundraising
Spondon branch’s fundraising is generally based around the November annual remembrance period, this year we’re trying to do a little bit more with our own pins and we’re always open to suggestion. More than ever, our brave lads and lasses need our support. In these difficult financial times fundraising might be unpopular, there is increased competition for your donations but remember, Poppy support does a job no-one else wants to touch, in this politically correct, allegedly caring, equal opportunities society, nobody else wants to deal with the expensive and unique issues that challenge our often forgotten heroes..

Poppy support doesn’t forget. Hard times mean a return to wartime style rationing for many of our pensioners, thousands are warming themselves around a can of smart price soup and worrying about the cost of the gas, many more are younger men and women, injured in conflict fighting and unable to cope with the demons of everyday life.

Poverty, mental illness, unemployment and discrimination are often what waits for our loyal troops when they return and Poppy Support is often the only friend to lend a hand when it’s needed most.

We think of “Veterans” as old people, people who fought in WW2, think again, at just under 18 a soldier can be laying down his life for his country, for the freedom of others or just to keep us safe here. Veterans as young as 20 are calling Poppy Support with issues that many of us can’t even envisage.

The Spondon Community has generously supported our fundraising magnificently since the reformation of the branch in 1962 and our goal is to help the community continue it’s support of Poppy Support and more importantly, know why they are doing it.

Remember this if nothing else... Our brothers offered their life to give us the freedom to CHOOSE whether or not to wear a poppy. Poppy support helps servicemen and women of all races, creeds, colours sexual orientations and ages without discrimination.

[The Royal British Legion - Spondon] [Donors Pins] [About Us] [Support]

Please contact our Webmaster with questions or comments.
© Copyright 2009 Spondon Royal British Legion. All rights reserved.