British Legion could shut its convalescent hotels to help those most in need

THE ROYAL British Legion is proposing to cut some services, including a convalescent hotel in Yorkshire, to save millions of pounds and prioritise money on the “most urgent calls for help”.

The UK’s largest armed forces charity said it was consulting with staff, including 153 who may face redundancy, as it looked to “refocus resource” as its welfare costs rise.

Nearly £6m per year could be saved by closing four seaside hotel “break centres” and an inhouse “home maintenance service”, where fitters install items like grab rails in the homes of the vulnerable, a spokeswoman said.

“Both areas of support are available through other providers or more cost-effective means”, she added, saying any affected staff would be helped by a “significant support package”.

Since 2016, the number of people requiring help with housing and rent, money, mobility, mental health and well-being issues has jumped by a fifth, the charity said.

The average expenditure per household through the Legion’s immediate needs funding has also risen from £900 to £1,330.

The charity’s director general, Charles Byrne, said: “We are seeing desperate people at their lowest ebb, people that can’t afford to pay their rent or feed their families, and we must prioritise our funds based on the most urgent calls for help.”

The four hotels are in Westonsuper-Mare, Somerset, Bridlington, Southport and Portrush, Co Antrim. They are primarily used as convalescent recovery places for personnel, or those struggling with a bereavement.