Posts by charlottewestminster
£500,000 raised for The Royal British Legion
The Westminster Collection has reached an incredible fundraising milestone having raised £500,000 for The Royal British Legion.
Stephen Allen presents the ‘Battle of the Somme Centenary Proof £5 Coin’ to Ian Jarvis, Community Fundraiser for The Royal British Legion. (L-R: Stephen Allen, Chairman, The Westminster Collection; Ian Jarvis, Community Fundraiser for The Royal British Legion Dorset; Max Allen, Stephen’s eldest son.)
The Westminster Collection has raised the staggering amount since 2008 through the sale of commemorative remembrance-themed coins, honouring the lives of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.
This year a special limited edition centenary £5 proof coin has been issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme Centenary Proof Coin is the only Proof £5 Coin commemorating the Battle of the Somme issued in support of the Legion available anywhere in the world,
The Battle of the Somme £5 Proof Coin
Stephen Allen, The Westminster Collection’s Chairman, said
“My own family has a close personal history with World War One and we wanted to create unique products which could be passed on to children or grandchildren, to make sure this terrible conflict is never forgotten.”
And the partnership between The Westminster Collection and the Legion is to continue with the announcement of a new three-year partnership.
Stephen added: “Though we have been working in partnership with The Royal British Legion since 2004, the first Poppy Coin came about in 2008 as a way to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War.
“We are delighted that the partnership has continued to grow.”
Claire Rowcliffe, Head of Regional Fundraising at The Royal British Legion, said: “We are extremely proud of our long-term partnership with The Westminster Collection.
Thanks to @WestminsterGB who raised an amazing £500K for our Armed Forces community with their Poppy Coin collection! pic.twitter.com/YCBkxsienQ
— Royal British Legion (@PoppyLegion) October 18, 2016
“The Westminster Collection is a family business which shares our commitment to supporting the entire Service community; whether it’s helping veterans to remain independent in their homes, offering dementia support and employment or compensation advice, or ensuring people have access to the benefits they deserve.
“Raising £500,000 for the Legion is a truly incredible fundraising milestone. The funds have enabled us to support the memory of the fallen, as well as the future of the living.”
Own the Battle of the Somme Centenary Proof Coin for just £25…
The Battle of the Somme coin has been issued to pay tribute to the 100th Anniversary of the Somme. Designed with the Somme battlefields in mind, the reverse features a masterfully printed and haunting poppy field with an engraved scene depicting soldiers going ‘over the top’ into battle.
Click here to secure your coin for just £25 (+p&p) – with a donation going directly to the Legion’s work.
Some examples of how The Royal British Legion supports the Armed Services community:
Care Homes – The Legion has six care homes to provide short and long term care for serving and ex-Service people and their dependants. Situated around the country, they offer a wide range of services including four with specialist dementia care. Care home communities include men and women of varied ages and abilities, and because these homes are exclusive to ex-Service people and their dependants, there is a unique camaraderie.
Break Centres – they offer much-needed breaks to ex-Service and serving personnel and their families, who may be recovering from an illness, bereavement or other life-affecting event. The Legion have four Break Centres located in prime locations around the country.
Handy Van Service – they provide essential and critical support to ex-service people who are unable to carry out household repairs or small jobs, helping them to remain independent in their own homes. The team of trusted handy people are also fully trained caseworkers enabling them to look out for other issues and people at risk in order to flag to the wider welfare team.
Benefits and Money Advice – they offer a confidential, face-to-face Benefits and Money Advice Service to help people manage their finances, including assisting them with making claims for state benefits and also dealing with money problems including debt.
Civvy Street – This service provides a range of information and advice on resettlement, learning and work. Civvy Street is designed to assist in-Service families, armed forces leavers and the veterans’ community adjust to civilian life and kick-start a new career.
How the new Battle of the Somme £5 Coin is set to raise important funds for The Royal British Legion
One Battle. One million casualties.
Nothing represents the suffering of World War I more than the Battle of the Somme, which sees its 100th anniversary on 1st July.
It’s appropriate, therefore, that the new Guernsey £5 coin, officially distributed by The Westminster Collection has been issued in support of The Royal British Legion.
The Battle of the Somme £5 Coin
The Legion was founded in 1921 to bring together the four national ex-servicemen’s charities established after the Great War. Today the charity still works tirelessly to provide financial, social and emotional support to all who have served and are currently serving in the British Armed Forces and their families.
Over £500,000 of donations
And, over the last 6 years commemorative coins have helped to support The Legion’s work, with donations arising from their sales, totally over £500,000.
By owning the Battle of the Somme £5 Coin in support of The Royal British Legion, not only are you ensuring that future generation never forget the sacrifices of the Somme and the other World War One battle, but you are also helping support today’s current and ex-servicemen and their families.
Louise Ajdukiewicz, Head of Corporate Partnerships at The Royal British Legion, says: “These funds make a real difference to the charity and help us continue our vital services supporting the whole Armed Forces community.”
Of course, owning the Battle of the Somme £5 Coin is just a small way that you can help support The Royal British Legion. For more information on how you can support The Legion, please click here.
The new face of the £20 banknote has been announced.
The Bank of England recently revealed the face of the new £20 note…
In 2007 a new-style £20 note was introduced, featuring one of the father’s of modern economics, Adam Smith. New security features were added, including a holographic strip, enhanced watermark and ultra-violet features.
However, almost 10 years later The Bank of England has announced an update to the note, with a new design scheduled for 2020.
Meet the new £20 note character: JMW Turner
— Bank of England (@bankofengland) April 22, 2016
Find out more: https://t.co/CsMLVfc9DJ#turner #jmwturner #20poundnote pic.twitter.com/5quxL5SnJz
For the first time ever, The Bank of England asked the British public to nominate people of ‘historical significance‘ from a list of 590 eligible candidates. The candidates, from the world of visual arts, included Alfred Hitchcock, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Richard Attenborough, Beatrix Potter and William Blake to name just a few.
Once the nominations were in, an appointed committee, with input from public focus groups, produced a shortlist of five candidates – artist JMW Turner, designer Josiah Wedgwood, filmmaker Charlie Chaplin, sculptor Barbara Hepworth and painter William Hogarth.
The final decision was made by the Bank’s governor, Mark Carney, and it has now been revealed that a self-portrait of Joseph Mallord William Turner will replace famous economist and philosopher Adam Smith on the new banknote.
Also featured alongside the self-portrait will be ‘The Fighting Temeraire‘ which was painted by Turner in 1839 and is currently on display in the National Gallery.
Turner’s selection represents the first time that the Bank of England has turned to the British public to assist in the selection process. However, it isn’t just the design that’s changing, the note itself will become the third banknote to be made from Polymer – which are more secure, cleaner, durable and environmentally friendly compared to the existing paper notes.
You won’t have to wait until 2020 to see your first polymer UK banknote though, with the new polymer £5 note, featuring Winston Churchill, due to enter circulation September 2016.
Own Britain’s most famous banknote – issued in fine silver.
British banknotes have undergone many changes since their initial introduction in 1697, from the printing techniques and watermarks to the introduction of colour in 1957.
We have a small stock of Britain’s most famous banknote – the ‘White Fiver’ available, which has been issued in Fine Silver.
You can add one to your collection today.