Celebrating 20 Years of Partnership between The Royal British Legion & The Westminster Collection

The Westminster Collection has been in proud partnership with The Royal British Legion for over 20 years – since 2004. This makes us one of the charity’s longest-term partners.

Ben France, the Head of Corporate Partnership at RBL says: “We are hugely proud to have The Westminster Collection as one of our longest-standing partners, a business that shares the Royal British Legion’s commitment to being there for the entire Armed Forces community…we are incredibly grateful to The Westminster Collection and its collectors for 20 years of dedicated support and look forward to reaching many more partnership milestones together.”

We couldn’t agree more, so wanted to put together something to show our appreciation to all the collectors who have supported this partnership – providing unwavering support for all these years. Keep reading below to read about the impact of collector’s donations and how this helps support the admirable work of the RBL’s Independent Living Advisors.

The impact of collectors like you

Over the remarkable 20 years of partnership, collectors have raised over £1.3 MILLION for the Royal British Legion. To mark the previous milestone of £1.25 million reached in 2023, we had the pleasure of presenting the Royal British Legion with a cheque from collectors for the incredible amount.

The RBL’s Independent Living Advisors

In 2023 alone, our collectors raised a staggering £99,800 for the RBL which could fund three specialist Independent Living Advisors for a whole year.

When every day challenges get too much for someone living in their own home, RBL Independent Living Advisors make sure that they and their carers have the essential support that helps them live safely and independently. The specialist team helps people access services and funding, from Local Authorities and other groups, for home modifications, in-home care support, and much more.

Kingsman Anthony Cooper MBE

The RBL’s Independent Living Advisors provide support for people like Kingsman Anthony Cooper MBE:

Anthony was told he would never walk or talk again after suffering life-changing injuries in Afghanistan.

Anthony lost both his legs in a Taliban roadside bombing in Helmand Province in July 2010, and was left in a coma for five weeks. Anthony was unable to speak for several months and had to learn how to talk again, beginning with the word ‘hello’. He returned to Lancashire having defied the medics. 

With the help of Karen Watson, Senior Independent Living Advisor, Anthony’s home was adapted to suit his needs, which included a series of repairs to the property. The RBL worked in conjunction with his local Council who carried out the major works.  

Anthony still struggles with PTSD but the home improvements have made a vast difference to his mental wellbeing. He says: “The house is brilliant now, I can’t thank everyone enough, I’ve built up a good relationship with Karen from the Royal British Legion, and it all came from there.”

Last year, Anthony Cooper was awarded an MBE for voluntary services to veterans in HM The King’s Official Birthday Honours List 2023. 

It’s because of support from our wonderful collectors that the Royal British Legion could do this for Anthony and many more.

In 2022-2023, RBL’s Independent Living Advice service provided advice, support, and advocacy to enable 921 people to live safely and well within their homes. 

Make a donation to help the RBL give life-long support to every generation of our Armed Forces Community: https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/ways-to-give/donate