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During 2004 the Branch was honoured to receive the Vincent Metcalfe Trophy award for activities during 2003. Below is a copy of the winning submission.
Historically and throughout the year 2003, Derby & Nottingham Branch has striven to align itself precisely with the aims of the REME Association and in sympathy with those aims, to be a good ambassador of the Army within the community. To those ends we believe that the specific activities of the branch that demonstrate our pro-active approach and achievements are: -
- the Branch was the instigator of the concept of naming a modern EWS locomotive after the Corps, this concept, we believe has immense "PR and recruitment potential" has now attained a very high profile within the Corps and at Board of Director level of EWS and is planned to take place in 2004;
- the Branch was a prime mover of the formation of a Midlands area with a local representative during 2003 to encourage better communication and interchange of ideas between branches and their members including joint activities, this is bearing fruit with minutes being circulated around the area branches, some joint activities in the planning stage and representation by our own and other branches at each other's functions (e.g. dedication of Standard etc);
- during the year the Branch have launched our own professional Internet website with links to the Corps, REME Benevolent Fund and other associated military charities. This was done as both a branch recruitment tool, a way of keeping members and potential members up to date with events and also as a vehicle to assist any serving or ex-serving members who may need assistance with avenues they may wish to explore
- during the year the Branch has designed and had produced its own recruitment posters and are in the process of an on-going campaign of rolling these out to Regular Army units, TA drill halls, major employers, RBL branches, supermarkets and DIY shops in the area to broaden knowledge of the Association and its activities and as a recruitment tool;
- the Branch activities continue to attract a high level of participation both from within Branch members and from local and national associations we have forged, in particular the 2003 Annual Dinner attracted approximately 100 attendees comprising mainly Branch members, we did however also host guests from serving members of both the REME and RLC, members of the RAOC Association and a guest from the Royal Hospital – Chelsea;
- members' activities throughout the year to raise money for the Branch Welfare Fund have meant that our Welfare Fund has approximately doubled over the period from c₤500 to over ₤1200. As a group we have been collectively fortunate that no one within our "Parish" has seen it necessary to call upon our financial assistance over the period of the last 12 months, we do however remain acutely aware that the availability of this fund will no doubt one day be crucial, it has not and will not therefore escape our attention;
- our collective efforts over the last 12 months to bolster the Welfare fund have not been done to the detriment of other charitable efforts in support of local and national causes, indeed, under the specific banner of the Branch, individual members have raised over ₤700 for charity during the year, specifically, >₤500 to the Nottingham Hospital Oncology Department, ₤110 for the Nottingham Hospital Orthopedic Society and ₤65 for the Macmillan Fund for Cancer Nurses.
We are, I believe, justifiably proud of the Branch's efforts and achievements and in the light of the above, we respectfully submit the Derby & Nottingham Branch for consideration for the Vincent Metcalfe Award.
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