It was a pleasure to host the leader of Kent County Council, Roger Gough, to RBLI’s Aylesford Village. Roger was able to see first-hand the work the charity is doing to support vulnerable military veterans.

As part of the tour, Roger met our team of former Gurkhas who work at the heart of the sign making facility in Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company – including Afghanistan veteran Anil Gurung who in 2009 lost his leg in a bomb explosion just 20 days before the end of his last tour.

Anil and the team made a unique sign for Roger to mark his first visit to the factory in his role as council leader.

Introducing our NEW Special Edition Remembrance Pin – a high quality metal pin featuring a beautiful red and black finish with silver backing.

Wear your Tommy with pride this Remembrance, and pay your respects to our fallen heroes – get yours now!

Our national period of Remembrance is fast approaching. To show your support for our Armed Forces and veterans, be sure to make your Tommy pride of place in your home.

Looking to add to your Tommy collection? Our veterans will be working hard to produce and fulfill your orders in time for Remembrance Day, so place your orders early to guarantee delivery!

We were honoured to officially open the new Garden of Reflection on Saturday 11^th September, on the RBLI village. The Garden offers a space dedicated to quiet contemplation, where individuals can come to remember those from our community that we have lost. We were delighted to be joined at the opening by some family members of residents we sadly lost from our community due to COVID over the past 18 months.

This new space is open year-round as a place to come together and celebrate the lives of our dear friends, each sorely missed by us all.
They represent the great generation whose sacrifice will not be forgotten. They were pillars of our community, each contributing to make our village one of compassion, care, support and friendship. We are proud to say that they are forever part of the RBLI community.

We also had the privilege of awarding our Florence Nightingale ‘Thank-You’ awards to our wonderful carers who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic. We are so grateful to all they have sacrificed and it was an honour to have Nadra Ahmed OBE DL, Chairman of the National Care Association and Trustee of RBLI, to present our carers with their awards and express her own personal thanks to them.

Tommy 10k is open to all – you can choose to run, walk, wheel, cycle or scoot the 10k and as the event is virtual you choose your route too!

The challenge is open to all ages and fitness levels – so children can join in and you can take part as a family. There are 3 challenges for you to choose from;

Corporal Challenge – 10k in a month
Paratrooper / Commando Challenge – 10k a week for 4 weeks
Special Forces Challenge – 10k a day for 10 days.

It’s free to take part, just set up a fundraising page, share it with your friends and family and get moving! All fundraising proceeds will go towards the support RBLI provides to veterans, their families and those with disabilities.

Which challenge will you choose? Click the button below to register now!

Thank-you so much for your ongoing support for RBLI.

RBLI

The signs team in RBLI’s social enterprise, Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company, have made enough railway signs during the pandemic that when laid end-to-end they would reach the Normandy beaches in France.

The team, which is based on our charity’s Aylesford village, have produced more than 150,000 signs since last year – amounting to more than 240,000 metres, or 150 miles of signs.

The signs which in total weigh more than 300 tonnes, would stretch from the factory’s base, across the English Channel, reaching the Normandy beaches – the historic site of the D-Day landings which set up the Allies to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

But instead, the signs have in fact been transported all over the UK to be installed alongside railways tracks to help keep the country moving.

Veterans living in our emergency accommodation Mountbatten Pavilion have been supporting their fellow RBLI residents by helping to clear the gardens of the village’s care homes.

Mountbatten Pavilion provides support for some of the more vulnerable veterans living on the RBLI village. The accommodation, is often the first port of call for homeless veterans or those facing financial difficulties and challenges with drug or alcohol misuse.

As the country continued to open up from lockdown, RBLI proudly reopened its doors to welcome our factories’ customers, potential donors as well as close friends of the charity to showcase what we’ve been doing to support those most in need over the past 18 months.

These visits, which see us still follow strict hygiene and social distancing practices, are our opportunity to gain further support for our work. One such visit was Nigel Howell, chairman of award-winning residential property management company First Port, who came to see first-hand the work we have been doing to support those most in need.

Nigel, who is a Founding Patron of RBLI’s Tommy Club, said: “It was fantastic to see the invaluable support that RBLI offers to our veterans. I met with some incredible people who lived, worked and received support from the RBLI village. They have big plans for the future as they look to grow so they can support even more veterans.

“All of our support, be it donations or purchasing products from their online store will help them in helping more veterans than ever before.”

RBLI’s two social enterprises based in Kent and Scotland met in the Midlands last weekend to showcase their wide range of products at BBC Gardener’s World Live.

Birmingham’s NEC welcomed Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company and Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company as factory representatives showed off their Tommy garden range, which is available via our online shop, to members of the public.

The team showcased a wide range products – all made by veterans – including benches, planters and hedgehog houses, as well as garden Tommy products which are crafted by the team at Scotland’s Bravest.

Thank-you so much for your ongoing support for RBLI.

RBLI

Last week, representatives of Barratt Developments’ Exeter Division received an award made by military veterans working in our social enterprise, Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company.

Barratt’s CEO David Thomas was there to accept a specially-engraved Tommy figure for their ongoing commitment to purchasing signs from BBMC.

Their Exeter division alone have purchased more than 1,000 units including signs, stickers, flags and flagpoles, providing vital employment opportunities to the factory’s ex-service personnel.

Pictured below is David Thomas, Chief Executive of Barratt Homes, receiving the award from RBLI’s Jess Wherry.

One such veteran is former Welsh Guard Steve Hammond who sustained life-changing injuries when serving on the Sir Galahad during the Falklands war. He was medically discharged and returned to Shropshire with his family. Unable to secure employment due to his injuries, he got in contact with RBLI who helped organise surgery which allowed him to work again, before providing him with a job in BBMC and a home on the charity’s Aylesford village.

Steve said: “We’re incredibly proud to be working with Barratt Developments making signs for their sites. It gives me and the whole team a real purpose.

“Barratt Developments have been incredibly supportive of our work over recent years, particularly during the pandemic, so we wanted to show our appreciation with this award.

“Our Tommy figure is a real symbol of military support so we see no more fitting gift to show our thanks.”

Last weekend saw the first league appearance of the new season for Leyton Orient in their new Tommy Club sponsored kit!

The thrilling match versus Exeter saw a 3-0 win for the O’s, who were sporting their incredible new kit.

It is safe to say that the new shirt is a hit with the fans!

We have exciting news – Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company is exhibiting on stand E506 at Gardeners World Live, at the NEC, Birmingham next week.

It promises to be a fantastic event, packed with inspirational show gardens and a new stage hosted by the BBC Gardeners world Magazine Editors.

Best of all, our veterans are taking along their brand new range of handmade products to sell. You can be the one of the first to own them, before they’re available on our shop; take a sneak peak below!

The show’s running over 4 days, from Thursday 26th – Sunday 29th August. Will we see you there?

A window is undoubtedly the best place for our amazing Perspex Tommy figures. They look great with the natural light shining through, casting a beautiful shadow in remembrance of those who have given their lives in our Armed Forces.

Thank-you so much for your ongoing support for RBLI.

RBLI

Next Sunday 15th August marks Victory over Japan, a monumental milestone that led to the end of World War Two. For many, VJ Day symbolises the end of a long period of suffering and unrest, with over 70,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers estimated to have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the war against Japan.

Join RBLI on 15th August in reflecting and remembering the events of 76 years ago.

Our veterans at Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company have produced a new 2021 range of VJ Day products to help the nation commemorate this important day.

As well as providing vital employment to veterans and those with disabilities, all proceeds from each sale help RBLI to support today’s veterans.

You can also show your support by displaying a VJ Day sticker, or wearing a VJ Day lapel pin

Well done to the 30 people who took part in and finished the London Landmarks Half Marathon! It was a real pleasure to see the unwavering support for our runners; we are so proud of everybody wearing a Team Brave vest.

A special thank you to our wonderful volunteer and long-time supporter Paul Tait for joining our team on the day.

It was such a great day and our supporters made it even more special by cheering on our runners with the utmost enthusiasm.

Next year we want to go bigger, so if you would like to join Team Brave and go on our priority list for 2022, please click the button below.

By taking part in one of our running events and fundraising for us, you will receive your own fundraising support, materials and tips. You will also have a dedicated contact at RBLI who will give you one-to-one support all the way, and you will be able to join an online Facebook community of other RBLI fundraisers.

The day will start with tea and a hearty bacon roll, before a shotgun start on the Par-70, 18 hole championship course.

Whilst on the course, you will have the opportunity to take part in various competitions at different holes. You will also be able to purchase a mulligan or two should you need them on the course!

After the final putt, teams will retire to the clubhouse for a well-earned drink, before sitting down for dinner. Our prize-giving and charitable auction will round up a day to remember. The entry fee for the day is £100 per person.

Thank-you so much for your ongoing support for RBLI.

RBLI