Royal British Legion member scoops national award
Life Membership award is given to Tilehurst man Ian Parker for his many years of service to the legion
A TILEHURST Royal British Legion (RBL) member has received the highest national award distributed by the armed service charity.
Ian Parker, aged 71, of School Road, Tilehurst, was given the Life Membership award at the 90th annual country conference of the Royal County of Berkshire on Saturday, held in Hanney, near Wantage.
The only recipient of the national award at the conference, Mr Parker held the post of honorary treasurer for many years and is currently membership secretary and president of the Downing Road club, which has over 2,000 members.
The RBL's first award is a Branch Certificate, followed by the County Certificate of Appreciation, the national award of a Gold Badge, and finally the Life Membership award.
A spokesman for the legion, Brian Lewendon, said: “We are all volunteers supporting the aims of the RBL and these awards are a way of appreciating outstanding service.”
After the presentation, Mr Parker's wife, Pat, said her husband was “very pleased” to have received the award, his second, after previously receiving the RBL Gold Badge.
A National Life membership may be awarded to a RBL member who has given at least ten years service to the RBL and who holds the RBL Gold Badge.
The recipient retains his full rights, without payment of subscriptions for the rest of his natural life.