A veteran has said he will “keep fighting” to save the Royal British Legion club in Bletchley after the branch put out an urgent appeal for donations to stop them closing.
They have existed for over 100 years, with the social club welcoming ex-service personnel for a drink and chat since the 1980s.
However, recent inflation has affected their bills – which means they are now at risk of closure and the branch is doing anything it can to keep itself afloat, including starting a Gofundme page.
Its closure would also mean the support they offer for the local military community is in jeopardy.
Mick Jones is president of the club and a Royal Green Jackets veteran. He served in the armed forces from the 1950s-1990s.
He told GB News he won’t stop “fighting”.
Jones said: “It’s about remembrance. If we don’t have this club, we won’t have anywhere to go. There won’t be anymore remembrance.
“I fought like hell to keep this club open and I will keep fighting.”
The area is steeped in military history. Nearby Bletchley Park was crucial to the allied victory in the Second World War, with the Government Code and Cypher School based there, deciphering military codes to produce intelligence.
It is also where Alan Turing famously led Hut 8 to cracking the Enigma Code.
John Rollinson, Chairman of the branch, says the club is like a “family”.
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He told GB News: “All the veterans come here and they all love the place.
“They bring their families, everybody knows each other. It’s like a family community and they just come and have a good time.”
John adds that the impact on the local area would be huge.
He said: “If the doors were to close, that would be catastrophic.
“There are a lot of people coming here. not just this group, we can’t get them all in at the same time.
“They all come in andfrequent here all the time, and it would be catastrophic if the doors shut.”
Nearby Bletchley Park was crucial to the allied victory in the Second World War, with the Government Code and Cypher School based there, deciphering military codes to produce intelligence
GB News
The club says it is committed to staying open as long as possible to continue its support for the community.
For members Ray Greenmore and Paul Southwell, the club is more than just a place to drink. They worry about the future of support.
Greenmore said: “You come to this club and if you need help with something, there’s always somebody in this club that would help you, or they know somebody that can help you.
“So we all look after each other.”
Southwell told GB News: “What happens when all the Royal British Legion clubs are gone? What happens when that happens? Where do ex-servicemen go?”
To donate and help save the Royal British Legion club in Bletchley, click here.
