A HUGE drive has been made by members of the Alcester branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) to recruit new members.

And to help the bid, an annual award scheme, The Padraig Mor Competition, has been set up to honour the person who introduces the most new recruits.

The scheme will work on a points system, with the most points being awarded for people under 40 who are recruited.

Not only will the scheme boost the numbers in the Alcester branch, but there will also be a prize of £50 for the member who gains the most points.

The scheme has been designed to have two main objectives; to keep the importance of recruiting in the public eye throughout the year and to encourage individuals to carry out recruiting among friends and acquaintances.

An Alcester RBL spokesman said: "Like pretty well all RBL branches, Alcester needs continuing effort to gain new recruits, especially those under the age of 40.

"We're all well aware that not having dedicated premises of our own is a drawback, but in this day and age we can stop thinking about getting our own premises unless someone is a bosom chum of J. Paul Getty.

"On the other hand, the branch does offer a fairly active social life with an event almost every month and, of course, lively companionship with likeminded people."

St Nicholas' Church Remembrance Sunday will be on Sunday at 11am.