Poppy Appeal Report 2
OCTOBER 2012
IN THIS ISSUE
POPPY APPEAL REPORT …………………… 2
LEGION MEMBERSHIP FEES …...... 2
BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING .. 3
BRANCH WEBSITE …...... 3
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY PARADE …...... 4
CHELSEA HOSPITAL VISIT …...... 5
WELFARE NOTES …...... 6
HAVE A LAUGH...…………………….……… 9
BRANCH COMMITTEE ……………...... 11
DIARY DATES ..………………………...... 12
THE EXHORTATION
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them
POPPY APPEAL REPORT
I have now closed the Poppy Appeal account for the year ending 30 September 2012 and all monies have been banked.
The total raised is £13,649.62 and increase of £941.44, Bodicote being £10,345.25 up £100.80 and Balscote and Shutford £3,304.37 up £840.64. so well done Balscote and Shutford.
The final totals will be slightly higher when I receive the final statement from HQ.
Stuart Dawson has volunteered to look after the Sainsburys collection this year.
We are holding an Award presentation in Shutford Village Hall on Wednesday 10th October at 7.30 pm. The Deputy Lord Lieutenant Col John Bridgemen CBE will present the awards it would be nice if committee members, the standard and as many members as possible could attend as well.
John Mills,
Poppy Appeal Organiser, Tel: 265629
LEGION MEMBERSHIP FEES
Please remember that the Annual Membership Subscription is due on 1st October. As announced at this years RBL Annual General Meeting the Membership Fee will be increased by £1.00 each year for the next 6 years and so the subscription for this year will be £13.50. It is preferable that payment is made by Direct Debit. Forms are available from Mina Pegram, but if that is not convenient please send your cheque for £13.50 made payable to Bodicote Royal British Legion to Mina at 42 Oakland Road, Banbury, OX16 9DR; Tel. 01295 263335.
As a registered charity the Royal British Legion is able to benefit from Gift Aid adding an extra £3.50 to your annual subscription at no extra cost to you if you are a UK taxpayer. Many members who pay tax have already signed up and the Legion is very grateful to them for the additional income which that brings.
If you have not already completed a Gift Aid declaration form we would ask that you carefully check whether or not you are a tax-payer or if not whether any tax is deducted at source such as from an occupational pension or on certain savings schemes. Even though you may not have completed a Tax Return form it does not mean that no tax is being paid. If you have any tax liability please contact Mina Pegram who will be pleased to send you a Gift Aid form, and to repeat it will cost you nothing.
Please inform Mina if you do not wish to renew your RBL Membership.
BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
We will be holding our Branch Annual General Meeting at The Chapel, East Street, Bodicote on Thursday 6th December 2012 at 7.30pm. Please try to attend so that you may have your say in how the Branch is run.
During the meeting the Committee for the coming year will be voted in. If you would like to be nominated or would like to nominate another member for a position on the Committee would you let the Branch Secretary know by 23rd November.
BRANCH WEBSITE
Our website is now in full operation. I am working on our Remembrance section which will have the details of those being remembered on our two memorials. Also when I am able I am providing a short personal history of each person.
If you have any news or items of interest that you feel the whole world should know about let me know.
Also, keep an eye on the news and events section as I will be adding items as and when I am given fresh information.
You can access the website via: http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/membership/branches/#B
Click on Bodicote and all will be revealed.
John Wells
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY PARADE AND SERVICE
The following service will be held at St John the Baptist Church, Bodicote on Remembrance Sunday.
Remembrance Sunday 11 November 2012. We will be holding the usual parade and service in the afternoon, those wishing to march should assemble at Kings Field by 2.30 pm ready to march off at 2.40 pm for the 3.00 pm service. Tea and biscuits will be served in Church House after the service; all are welcome to join us.
We will also be holding a short Remembrance gathering at the Wellington Memorial (off Wykham Lane) at 11.00am on Sunday 11th November to pay tribute to the crew of the Wellington Bomber who lost their lives in the air crash at the site on 28th December 1942. If you would like to attend you will be most welcome. (Wearing a strong pair of shoes or boots would be advisable as the footpath to the site may be muddy at this time of year).
CHELSEA HOSPITAL VISIT
On Wednesday 29th August a group of 29 members and friends visited the National Army Museum in London in the morning followed after lunch by a tour of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
The National Army Museum told the story of the British Army throughout the years, there was plenty to see and touch. We were made very welcome by the staff.
After lunch we went on a tour of the Royal Hospital, where our tour guide was Bill “Paddy” Fox BEM the hospital's chief guide. Paddy had relations in Bodicote and his mother came from Wardington so there was plenty of reminiscing. The hospital's historical buildings were most spectacular. Sadly the weather deteriorated in the afternoon and a lot of time was spent sheltering from the rain but Paddy gave us a lot of fascinating facts which made the tour very enjoyable.
After coping with London’s evening traffic congestion we arrived back in Bodicote at 7.00 pm. A very enjoyable, wet but interesting day.
Maggie Mills
The Group in front of the Founders Statue
WELFARE NOTES
SCAMS
Is it clear what is being offered?
Before buying a product or service, or making an investment,make sure you understand fully how the offer works so that you can make an informed decision. If you do not,ask yourself if you can trust the advice you receive. Does the salesperson really have your best interests in mind? The offer may be related to a subject that is currently in the news. However, the suitability or value of a product, service or investment will still depend on its particular details. For example, even in a rising property market, the value of an individual piece of land will be heavily influenced by whether it has planning permission or not. Consumer organisations often tell us that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. In investments, levels of risk and return are closely linked, so beware of those that offer guaranteed high returns. It is sensible to question claims made about products before buying them. Home demonstrations – for example, of vacuum cleaners – may be designed to show the product to its best advantage. Research that appears to support claims made about food supplements or slimming aids may be selective or even invented.
Checking companies’ credentials
Before you commit to buying anything, be sure that you have enough information about the seller. It is worth checking the following points, particularly if you have not heard of the company before.
• Do you have a contact number and does it work? Be wary if the only number you have is for a mobile phone (numbers that begin ‘07…’).
• Do you have a postal address for the company? Be cautious if it uses only a PO Box number.
• Is the company based overseas? If so, the usual consumer rights may not apply or could be very difficult to enforce.
• Is the company or individual properly regulated, or a member of a trade association? Check any claims made with the body concerned.
• Remember that it is easy to have business cards, stationery and websites made up. Do not judge by appearances alone.
• Can you find any independent information about the seller?
In your home: rogue traders
Doorstep selling can present a number of risks – for example, dishonest tradespeople may offer to carry out unnecessary works to a poor standard at inflated prices. It is wiser never to buy anything from callers that you have not bought from before (and know to be reliable). You could put up a notice
to say that you do not buy on the doorstep. Pushy and persuasive salespeople may offer what seem to be large discounts, time-limited offers, or just refuse to take no for an answer. These selling techniques can be difficult to resist: the best defence is not to expose yourself to them.
Remember that even if you sign a contract for a purchase above £35 from a seller in your home, in most cases you have at least seven days to change your mind (the ‘cooling-off’ period). Even if you invited the salesperson into your home.
Your consumer rights may not be much use if you can’t trace the seller. Don’t be pressured into making any payments – particularly in cash – or signing documents until you’ve had a chance to think about things, or discuss it with family or friends. A reputable company will not try to force you into an instant decision.
Very recently an elderly couple (83 & 79) in Oxfordshire were approached by a salesman offering Mobility Scooters at a heavily discounted price. The husband was having increasing difficulty in walking and his wife had been saving for the past three years and agreed to purchase a scooter for £1500. She was told that to secure the discount she would have to pay cash 'upfront' which she did. She was told that the scooter would be delivered in seven to ten days and was given a Bill of Sale with the Company's Address, telephone number and Website Address together with the salesman's mobile number. It all seemed very genuine. After twelve days when the scooter had still not been delivered the wife rang the Company's phone number which was unobtainable. She then called the salesman's mobile number which went to an answer phone message, and having tried this number for the following four days without success she had a friend look up the Company's website. All that showed was a hosting site for web pages. This couples' situation is now being investigated by Trading Standards but it seems unlikely that they will get their money back.
So once again – never take anything at face value without having checked first!
In your home: bogus callers
Bogus callers are people who try to con their way into your home to steal, or trick you out of money. They might pretend to be an official from a gas or electricity company, or a salesperson. It may even just be someone with a hard luck story claiming to need to borrow a few pounds, or wanting to use your telephone in an emergency.
If you are not expecting a visitor:
• find out who is outside before you answer the door by using a spy-hole or looking through a window
• if you do not recognise the caller, put the security chain on before you open the door
• ask to see identification and examine it carefully, or you can ask them to post proof of identity through your letter-box
• if you are still unsure, telephone the organisation they say they are from – get the number from a bill or your phone book rather than ringing the number they give you, which could be answered by an accomplice
• alternatively, ask them to come back at another time when someone will be with you, or tell them to write to you to arrange an appointment.
Remember, you do not have to let any stranger into your home. If you are suspicious or the caller will not leave, dial 999 and ask for the police.
Telephone selling
Unsolicited telephone calls are used by both genuine and fraudulent businesses to reach new customers. Many people find them irritating and would rather not receive them.
The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is a free register that allows you to opt out of receiving unsolicited sales and marketing calls. Registering with the TPS should greatly reduce these calls but you may still get some, particularly from overseas companies.
Be wary of calls from companies that you’ve had no previous dealings with. Don’t be afraid to put the phone down or end the call with a brief ‘No, thank you’. The caller will probably expect, and be used to, a high proportion of calls ending in this way.
Pressure selling by telephone of dubious financial investments – by so-called ‘boiler room’ operations – is also a recognised problem. Check whether companies are authorised by the Financial Services Authority.
Be aware that telephone numbers are not always what they seem. Today’s communications technology means that calls with a geographical area code may not have come from that area.
If a caller gives you a number to call back, this still doesn’t necessarily mean that the company is genuine. Try to find information about the company from an independent source. Avoid calling numbers that begin ‘09’ as these are charged at premium rates.