Byng House closure would have broken my dad’s heart
AS VETERANS and their families come to terms with the closure of Byng House, the son of the former chairman of the Southport Branch of the Royal British Legion has spoken out.
Former soldier and Southport author Sean Connolly is the son of William – Bill – Connolly who helped set up the respite centre in 1982 and served in WWII.
Bill was branch chairman for 30 years and Sean said that his father told him just before he died that if anything ever happened to the place he would be heartbroken.
Sean said: “If my dad was alive I think this decision might have sent him over the edge. He’d be gutted and heartbroken as so many others are.
“I’m absolutely appalled by what the Royal British Legion has done and can’t understand the decision.
“Staff were not consulted and were told just before Christmas last year.
“They not only had to worry about the future welfare of the veterans but also about their own personal welfare.
“I feel that some of the people who run the Royal British Legion haven’t served a day in their life and have no idea the benefits and good that the respite given by Byng House.”
The centre on the promenade has 36 bedrooms and provided free holidays to veterans and serving Armed Forces personnel, as well as families, carers and dependents.
Facilities included a cinema, library, games room, hair salon and a licensed bar and guests were treated to coach trips to destinations such as Liverpool and Chester.
The Legion told its staff in November 2019, a week after Remembrance Day, that the centre would be closing as part of a cost cutting exercise which includes the closure of its three other break centres around the UK.
The charity said there had been an increase in people needing basic support with housing, financial issues, mental health and wellbeing and mobility since 2016.
In this time, the average expenditure per household through the charity’s immediate needs funding has risen 45% from £900 to £1,330.
Sean said: “RBL are saying needs have changed, we haven’t seen any evidence of that. The needs for veterans are the same as they were 20-30 years ago.
“They made an extra 0.5% from the poppy appeal last year, so where has that gone? £165m per year and 3.5% of that goes to fund the respite homes.
“They held a meeting on December 10 and many questions, some of which were really obvious ones, are still left unanswered.”
Sean owns one half of Mighty Radio, a not-forprofit community radio station in Southport and is author Of army novels Fighting the Red Menace, Gunners ‘N’ Grenades and British Army Of The Rampage (BAOR).
He joined the Army at the age of 16 and got involved with Byng House about 15 years ago and decided to donate part of the proceeds of his book sales to the break centre.
The author announced the release date of Fighting The Red Menace at Byng House in 2016 in the presence of his dad, guests and the British Forces Broadcasting Services (BFBS) who came to interview him.
The former Bombardier has now picked SSAFA – the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, as his designated charity.
He said: “I’ve cut all ties with RBL and am in the process of removing them from my website.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of vets, some I’ve told about the decision, and they’ve said the same thing.
“I said not to do the same just solely based on what I’ve said but they said they too don’t wish to be part of an organisation who carries out such underhand tactics. They won’t be renewing their memberships.
“I’ve put approximately £20,000 plus into Byng House over the years but I’ll be choosing SSAFA from now on.”
Amid the widespread anger, many have come out to support and praise the hard-working staff for their service.
Sean recalled an RAF veteran from Shropshire who had been diagnosed with cancer and had six months to live.
Despite a
six-month waiting list, employees at Byng House worked hard to get him in within a couple of weeks.
Sean said: “They moved mountains to get him there and he was there a few weeks. It’s the respite you see, it makes such a difference.
“He was completely different when he left thanks to the hard-working staff there who go above and beyond and go out their way to make every single guest feel happy.
“He sadly passed away a few weeks later but it’s people’s stories like that which should have been taken into account.
“When I’ve been there people would pull up a chair and we’d share our own experiences.
“There are veterans with physical disabilities and those who have suffered the psychological effects of what they’ve been through who could talk to the trained counsellors. There’s nowhere for them now”
Many fought for the decision to be reconsidered, but the RBL announced that the building was up for sale, meaning it is unlikely the decision will be reversed.
Sean still wants to make one last appeal for the charity to reconsider.
He said: “It’s probably too late but I would still like them to reconsider. We’ve tried everything – protests, interviews with Granada Reports – it’s fallen on deaf ears.
“I feel like if they’d have just sent someone down there to see what the centre is like they’d have seen the value in the place and decided not to close it.
“If there were proper consultations made something could have been done.
“If there was some way I could win the Lottery and buy that building I would to keep the service going for them, but that’s not likely to happen is it?
“I am absolutely gutted.”