The Royal British Legion Riders Branch is a National branch of the RBL with over 6000 members and is for anyone who has a passion for motorcycling and a willingness and desire to support the aims and charitable efforts of The Royal British Legion.
As Branch members, the group’s main aims are to raise funds and awareness for the Poppy Appeal and to offer support and help whenever we can to our service personal, past and present, and their families. The Riders Branch is keen to attract motorcyclists and supporters from throughout the UK and abroad.
A spokesperson for the Riders Branch said, “We are now into our second decade of activity, attending community repatriation ceremonies and funerals for veterans who otherwise would have no mourners, we try to make sure all our heroes are given the sendoff they deserve.
“We attend as many military events, memorial rides and services along with rallies, social gatherings and ride outs as we can, having fun riding bikes while trying to support the Poppy Appeal ethos and all service personal and their families.”
Many of the riders are ex-services but there are equally many more who have not served, who just wish to support the Royal British Legion through the Riders Branch. The Riders Branch is very diverse in its membership with riders from all walks of life, ages, and genders and ride a wide variety of Motorcycles which is self-evident from the group of us that you will see on this year’s Poppy Appeal Launch Ride.
The spokesperson continued, “The riders Branch members are like one big family there to support each other in times of need and to join together to work for the Poppy Appeal, we enjoy social events and ride outs.
“The members can involve themselves as much or as little as they can or want to, there are no rules as long as you support our troops and armed services, there to help all veterans and servicemen and women.”
The Poppy Appeal Launch Ride is an annual event, now in its 9th year, run over the weekend to coincide closest with the launch of the National Poppy Appeal, (2 weeks before Remembrance Sunday)
This year’s ride will be on the weekend of Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 October. The riders are starting at 10.00 at Port Sunlight then on to Runcorn, Northwich, Middlewich, Sandbach and Crewe to complete the Cheshire leg. Following this is an overnight stop in Gresford, North Wales, then they start again at Wrexham, travelling through Llangollen, Menai Bridge, Caernarvon, and finishing at the RBL in Llanddulas.
Timings for Cheshire, however, they could be slightly earlier or later dependent on weather and traffic:
- Port Sunlight Cenotaph CH62 5DZ – 10.00am
- Halton RBL, Runcorn, WA7 2BE – 11.45am
- Northwich Cenotaph, CW9 5PH – 1.30pm
- Middlewich, Cenotaph, CW10 9AN – 2.20pm
- Sandbach, Cenotaph, CW11 1AP – 3.00/3.15pm
- Crewe, Cenotaph, CW1 2NJ – 4.00/4.15pm
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