Essex Royal British Legion raised more than £600,000 for the national Poppy Appeal last year and spent £84,000 assisting 275 members-in-need with grants.
County Secretary Eric Seymour says membership has remained stable with recruitment from post war national service and former regular service people replenishing the ranks from World War 11.
"We will bcome a smaller organisation but we will never fade away. Although we cannot expect the membership you had when most of the nation were members of the services, there will always be work for us for ex-service personal and their relatives," he said ahead of the RBL County Annual meeting at Marconi Club, Chelmsford.
During the year Galleywood Branch had to be amalgamated with the main county town branch owing to the lack of people able to be officers.
At the same time the standard of the former Ingatestone Branch was officially "laid up" in a ceremony at the parish church there.
"D group which includes Chelmsford remains a pretty strong group and there will be no branch closures this year."
Essex Royal British Legion is based in Moulsham Street, Chelmsford.
Published Tuesday, January 7, 2003
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