Royal British Legion (RBL) is to close its Break Centres….

Royal British Legion (RBL) is to close its Break Centres

The RBL has announced that they are closing the Break Centres which are Alderson, Bennet, Byng and Somerset Legion House. These centres have traditionally provided Veterans with a place whether you are recovering from an injury or illness, have been struggling with a recent bereavement, or veterans simply looking for a chance to spend quality time on their own.  They were not intended to provide supported holiday accommodation.

 

There is a strong feeling in the Veteran Community that The Royal British Legion should reconsider these closures, whilst consulting on a model which better suits the needs of the current veteran’s community.

 

The Royal British Legion acknowledge that the Break Centres provide valuable, positive experiences for the people we support and their families. They said “we do not make these proposals lightly, and we are well aware of the impact they could have on staff who have made hugely valuable contributions to the charity’s work, as well as our beneficiaries.  Throughout our history we have responded to the changes in the Armed Forces community and the landscape we operate within. These closures form part of a wider programme of work as we create our new strategy to ensure the charity is having the greatest impact, making the most of our resources, and evolving in line with changes around us. Making these Closures is a necessary step for the Legion in order to adapt and help the Armed Forces community tackle their toughest challenges today”.

 

The MCVC have represented the strong views of the veterans we support, to the RBL and wait to see if we can encourage them to look at this decision again.