The Ride
‘Running the Standard’ will take place in July 2021 and will encompass almost 3,000 miles of motorcycle riding. The main premise of ‘Running the Standard’ is to take a miniature Royal British Legion Riders Branch Standard to every county in Great Britain and to have as many Royal British Legion Riders (Riders) members join us along the ride; whether that is for one leg (county to county), a few miles or multiple legs. The starting location will be in Plymouth and culminate at the Riders National Rally. The event has been designed to enable as many members as possible to join in the celebration of the 100th year of the Royal British Legion (the Legion).
The idea for Running the Standard was conceived on a car ride back from a Riders’ committee meeting. There were several criteria that we considered:
1. Accessibility | It had to be accessible to as many members as possible.
2. A good ride out | It had to be a ride, we are after all The Riders Branch!
3. Completable | The ride must be challenging yet, completable.
4. The journey | We will try and get to some of the best views in the UK (if it is not raining).
The Royal British Legion Standard
The Legion Standard was originally designed in 1922 by Colonel E C Heath, the first General Secretary of the British Legion. It made its first appearance in June that year, at the Crystal Palace Sports Day, and was first paraded as the National Standard at the Annual Conference Cenotaph Service in 1924 on Whit Sunday. By the end of 1928, one in every three branches had their own Standard.
The Standards are looked upon as the rallying point of every Branch and as a constant symbolic reminder of the Legions motto “Service not Self”.
Royal British Legion Riders Branch
In 2021, the Legion will turn 100 years old. It is split into approximately 2,500 Branches, one of the largest of which is the Royal British Legion Riders Branch (RBLR) with a membership of over 5,000. The RBLR, formed in 2004, is one of the most active branches of the Legion and has raised over £1million for the Poppy Appeal to date. The difference between a local Branch and the Riders Branch is that local Branches meet in local places whereas the RLBR is forum-led; as we are spread across the world. The RBLR do not have a sole meeting place and members are linked by the common interest of motorcycles rather than geographic location.
