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The assessment of The Royal British Legion by @AaronBastani is almost correct. Over the last 15 years it has become a commercial enterprise at the national level. The branches are still fairly true to the principle, but betrayed by what is above them... novaramedia.com/2018/11/08/unl…
I am sitting here with tears in my eyes writing this. It feels like I am betraying a friend, but what has happened to that organisation is despicable. Take the Bushey branch. Those bastards at the national level sold the building out from under the feet of the branch members...
The chairman of the branch was in there one day when some bloke turned up and started asking for access to parts of the building. When they were asked what they wanted they were told that they were surveying the building to prepare for sale. They were told to 'push' off...
The national level organisation had never even told them. Utter bastards. And why were they selling it? Well, look at it: 
They took one look at the building and saw pound signs in their eyes. And suprise suprise they forced through the sale and then made sure they could maintain all of their nice high end salaries. The amenity of the building meant nothing to them at the national level...
Or how about in Berkhamsted where there was a building owned by a local that for years had been used free of charge by the local branch to store mobility items that were lent to locals as required...
When this kind lady died she bequeathed the building to the local branch so that they could continue this arrangement. But then the national organisation noticed the will was worded ambiguously, and those thieving bastards insist that it came to them...
...And they did not even let the local branch use it for the value of the amenity it gave to the locals. No, they bloody sold it.
Those bastards sold it...
Those bastards sold it...
Those utter scumbags at the national organisation, they are abusing and exploiting the good will so many wonderful people have built up. The people at the local branch level are often still good, but the national organisation is a cash cow for scumbags...
...Someone in my family gave the last ten good years of their life to their local branch, working long full-time hours, and they never took a penny. They ran around after people not much older than themselves helping them out, doing various secretarial duties, giving their all...
...When they got too sick to carry on, even though they were a veteran of many dangerous campaigns, lived with the trauma and nightmares for all of their life, there was very little support offered from the structures of the Legion...
...But it was people at the local branch that offered some connection and respite, and a member of the local branch that came and helped with things that were far beyond the few quid she would accept for what she did...
...It was a female member of the local branch that helped move one of my dearest female relatives so she could lie down and die in dignity in her own home...
...At the national level The British Legion has become utterly corrupt. It is so upsetting to me that I can not bring myself to wear a poppy any more, that this symbol we have of the great insane sacrifices so many made for us all has been sullied by these corporate villains...
...From when I was a little kid the first understanding I had that sacrifices had been made for me was because of the Poppy Appeal. At least three of my relatives died on the first day of the Somme. I am in bits writing this thread...
But we can not let the national organisation of The British Legion continue to get away with this terrible exploitation. We need charity reform, and we need to prevent crass exploitation of things such as the Poppy Appeal...
...Please consider giving directly to your local branch, but also, find out what they are actually doing. The experiences and scars that many military personnel pick up can last a lifetime, and the local branches can offer a lot to them, particularly in old age.
