Lurgan and District RBL Poppy Appeal

06/06/2026

A MESSAGE FROM ELIZABETH MAGINNIS, LURGAN AND DISTRICT PAO - A massive ‘Thank You’ to everybody who visited our Lurgan and District Poppy Appeal stall at Lurgan Show today – Saturday the 6th of June – and donated to the Poppy Appeal. It is your involvement in events such as these that keeps the momentum going outwith our main autumn Poppy Appeal in late October and early November.

And my sincere appreciation to our local politicians who took time out of their busy schedules to come over to the stall to have a chat about the Royal British Legion, and the Poppy Appeal. These included local MPs Carla Lockhart and Sorcha Eastwood (MP for Lagan Valley), our new Deputy Lord Mayor Lavelle McIlwrath (pictured), and Councillors Peter Haire and Kyle Savage.

Thanks also to Emma Ward, the Northern Ireland RBL District Events Co-Ordinator, and her daughter Hannah, who spent a number of hours with us on the stall, and it was nice too for our Branch Chairman, Squadron Leader Jim Maginnis, to have the opportunity to speak with our friends Majors Colin and Maureen Bain of Lurgan Salvation Army before their retirement to Canada at the end of the month; we will certainly miss their sage advice, and their service to all of the people of Lurgan.

04/06/2026

LURGAN AND DISTRICT POPPY APPEAL STALL at LURGAN PARK SHOW on SATURDAY the 6TH of JUNE 2026

Just a reminder that the LURGAN AND DISTRICT POPPY APPEAL will have a stall from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at the LURGAN PARK SHOW on SATURDAY 6H JUNE 2026.

At our stall you will be able to purchase Remembrance Materiel and Poppy-related gifts, and we will also be taking orders for Wreaths, Poppy Crosses etc for the 110th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 2026, for other Summer Anniversaries and Commemorations, and, looking ahead, for Remembrance Sunday, which this year is on Sunday the 8th of November.

And once more we will have our ‘Second Hand Book Stall’, with paperbacks priced at £2 each or three for £5, and hardbacks at £4 each or three for £10 - all proceeds from these sales will go to the Poppy Appeal. So, please come along and grab a bargain! 📚 😉

The 2026 Poppy Appeal officially launches on Thursday the 22nd of October running through to Sunday the 8th of November; so, if you would like to volunteer and help this fantastic cause, then please come by the stall for a chat!

Also, Lurgan and Brownlow RBL Branch will also have a stall, and all proceeds from this stall will go to Branch Funds. We look forward to seeing you all there!

01/06/2026

THE BALLOT FOR THE 2026 FESITVAL OF REMEMBRANCE IN THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL on 7TH NOVEMBER 2026 IS NOW OPEN: Details of the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance, including HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE BALLOT FOR TICKETS, can be found at this link:

https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/events/remembrance-events/festival-of-remembrance

Royal British Legion Members have four weeks to enter the ballot through the Online Platform and have the option to enter the ballot for either the evening performance, the afternoon performance, or both; Members will then be able to purchase a maximum of two tickets. After the ballot closes, tickets will be allocated randomly.

To enter the ballot you will need your RBL Membership Number and a valid email address. Your RBL Membership Number is the set of digits displayed above your name on your membership card; please note that this contains only numbers, so please do not use the Branch Code; viz BR1740 for Lurgan and Brownlow Branch.

BALLOT RULES:

1. Each Member is allowed to enter the ballot once;

2. All entrants will be notified by email regarding the outcome of their entry;

3. Unique links will be single-use, and tickets must be purchased within 14 days of the date the BOOKING SITE (not the ‘Online Platform!) goes live.

If you have any queries, then please email the dedicated Festival of Remembrance helpline at: [email protected]

At RBL’s Festival of Remembrance, personal testimonies, storytelling and music express the nation’s gratitude to Armed Forces personnel, past and present.

25/05/2026

MESSAGE FROM ELIZABETH MAGINNIS – LURGAN AND DISTRICT POPPY APPEAL ORGANISER:

We are delighted to announce that, once again, the Lurgan and District Poppy Appeal will have a stall at the upcoming LURGAN PARK SHOW from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on SATURDAY 6H JUNE 2026. At this stall you will be able to purchase Remembrance Materiel and Poppy-related gifts such as the RBL ‘2026 Poppy Pin’, and the RBL ‘2026 Armed Forces’ Day Pin’. We will also be taking orders for Wreaths, Poppy Crosses etc for the 110th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 2026, for other summer anniversaries and commemorations, and, looking ahead, for Remembrance Sunday, which this year is on Sunday the 8th of November. Once more I have, ahem, ‘persuaded’ (😁) our Branch Chairman, Jim, to thin out his massive, somewhat eclectic book collection, with paperbacks priced at £2 each or three for £5, and hardbacks at £4 each or three for £10 - all proceeds from these sales are being generously donated directly to the Poppy Appeal. So, come and grab a bargain! 📚 😉

Also, please bear in mind that it is only by purchasing your Remembrance Materiel from the RBL-authorised Lurgan and District Poppy Appeal, and not from ‘unofficial’ or ‘legacy’ sources, that you can be guaranteed that 100% of your donation will be received by the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

And a note for your diaries - the 2026 Poppy Appeal officially launches on Thursday the 22nd of October running through to Sunday the 8th of November; so, if you would like to volunteer and help this fantastic cause, then please come by the stall for a chat!
In addition, Lurgan and Brownlow RBL Branch will also have a stall, and all proceeds from this stall will go to Branch Funds. We look forward to seeing you all there! Please like and share this post to help us spread the word.

20/05/2026

17/05/2026

The Lurgan and District Poppy Appeal Organiser, Mrs Elizabeth Maginnis, would like to take this opportunity in thanking W Bro John Dumigan, District Master of Lurgan District LOL No 6, Mrs Julie Dumigan, and the rest of the Brownlow House Tattoo Committee for their kind offer enabling the Lurgan and District Poppy Appeal to have a stall in the grounds of ‘the Castle’ prior to the ‘Brownlow House Tattoo that was held on Saturday 16th May 2026. To have the opportunity to enable people to obtain Remembrance Materiel, and to order Wreaths and Poppy Crosses for upcoming anniversaries was most welcome.

Indeed, the Organising Committee’s invitation that allowed Elizabeth, Mrs Jennifer McKinley, and Lurgan and Brownlow RBL President Mr Albert Houston to view the Tattoo from the ‘Guests’ seating’ was very generous, and made for a most enjoyable evening, for what really was a fantastic spectacle.

And also, a massive ‘Thank You’ to all of the members of the public who donated to the Poppy Appeal on the evening. Although the ‘main effort’ of the Poppy Appeal is naturally in October and November each year, donations are welcome all year round.

So, thanks to all of the organisers and to the participants once again.

01/05/2026

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION NATIONAL POPPY APPEAL 2025 – A Message from Squadron Leader Jim Maginnis, Chairman, Lurgan and Brownlow Branch, Royal British Legion:

The 2025 Royal British Legion National Poppy Appeal, supported by 59,000 volunteers, and with some 32 million poppies sold, has raised an incredible £56,600,000!!! This total includes £54.1 million raised by the Royal British Legion, and £2.5 million raised by Poppy Scotland; an impressive £5.2 million increase on the 2024 total.

And locally, in 2025 the Lurgan and District Poppy Appeal contributed a magnificent £38,103.46 to the National endeavour; so, kudos to Elizabeth, Prichy and their Team. And whether you assisted by collecting; helping at the two Tesco stalls; donating; counting cash from the collecting boxes; or simply spreading the word of work of the Poppy Appeal, a massive ‘THANK YOU!’ for getting involved and supporting the Armed Forces community. Everyone’s effort truly mattered.

The outstanding National figure means that the RBL can continue to provide life changing support to veterans, serving personnel, and their families – whenever they need it. From helping people through welfare challenges and providing urgent grants, to offering later life care, running recovery programmes, and building vital community connections, this funding will make a real difference.

Furthermore, you may have seen comments in the MSM and on social media from naysayers denigrating the efforts of the Royal British Legion in general, and the RBL in Northern Ireland in particular. Rest assured that the Lurgan and Brownlow Branch of the Royal British Legion, and the Lurgan and District Poppy Appeal remain foursquare behind the Royal British Legion’s strategic aims of SUPPORTING, CONNECTING, and REMEMBERING the Armed Forces community.

The RBL provides lifelong SUPPORT to serving and ex-serving personnel, starting after just one day of service, delivering improved, tailored services, including specialist dementia care and recovery programmes, and introducing preventative support to help beneficiaries earlier.

The RBL aims to strengthen the camaraderie and support networks for the Armed Forces community by CONNECTING with serving and ex-serving personnel, and their families. And via the Lurgan and Brownlow RBL Club we endeavour to support the wider community of Lurgan and its environs in connecting with one another to build social networks which will enable us to combat social isolation and improve mental health and general well-being.

As the national custodian of REMEMBRANCE, the RBL ensures that the unique contribution of our Armed Forces is never forgotten. We always place the history and meaning of the Poppy as an emblem of Remembrance at the heart of our events. And this is particularly important in our own Province were people, often simply through lack of understanding, misinterpret the Poppy and the RBL, and what we stand for.

Finally, we actively CAMPAIGN on behalf of serving personnel and Veterans alike, by challenging disadvantage, representing the interests of the Armed Forces community to government, and ensuring the Armed Forces Covenant is upheld.

The Royal British Legion continues to honour the fallen whilst supporting the living. Our ethos of ‘SERVICE NOT SELF’, places DUTY, REMEMBRANCE, and SUPPORT at the heart of all we do.

30/04/2026

TICKETING PROCESS FOR THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION FESTIVAL OF REMEMBRANCE 2026:

Tickets for the RBL Festival of Remembrance in the Royal Albert Hall, London on Saturday 7th November 2026, will be allocated through a ballot to ensure all RBL Members have a fair chance to purchase tickets. The ballot opens on Wednesday 27th May 2026 and closes on Wednesday 24th June 2026.

OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS:

Members will have four weeks to enter the ballot through an Online Platform,** and will have the option to enter the ballot for either the evening performance or the afternoon performance, or both; Members will then be able to purchase a maximum of two tickets. After the ballot closes, tickets will be allocated randomly.

To enter the ballot when it opens on Wed 27 May you will need your RBL Membership Number and a valid email address. Your RBL Membership Number is the set of digits displayed above your name on your membership card; please note that this contains only numbers, so please do not use the Branch Code; viz BR1740 for Lurgan and Brownlow Branch.

BALLOT RULES:

1. Each Member is allowed to enter the ballot once;
2. All entrants will be notified by email regarding the outcome of their entry;
3. Unique links will be single-use, and tickets must be purchased within 14 days of the date the BOOKING SITE (not the ‘Online Platform!) goes live.

**A link will be posted whenever it comes available to enable Branch Members to apply!

03/04/2026

The draw for the Lurgan and District Poppy Appeal Easter Draw was made at the Thursday night Bingo in the Lurgan and Brownlow RBL premises on Thursday 2 Apr 2026!

1st prize of an ‘Easter Basket’ was won by Raymond O’Hara (pictured);

2nd prize of a bottle of Sambuca and an Easter Egg was won by Susan Bullick;

3rd prize of a ‘Child’s Easter Basket’ was won by…Susan Bullick (again!!!😁😉).

Susan can pick up her prizes from the Bar Staff when the Club is open!

Elizabeth Maginnis (Lurgan and District Poppy Appeal Organiser) would like to thank all those who donated prizes, and purchased raffle tickets!!! The magnificent total of £240 was raised, and this will be divided between the Poppy Appeal and Branch Funds…as per the caveat on the posters!!!