A supporter of the Royal British Legion has described the charity’s lack of presence in Chesham as a ‘disgrace’.
Andy Angus, who is from Hertfordshire, said he was ‘appalled’ to hear that the cause has been ‘homeless’ in the town since December 2022.
The charity had been based at the McMinn Centre in the town, but left the premises 18 months ago after its lease came to an end.
The building they were subsequently located in was sold to a developer to be turned into flats.
Roughly a year-and-a-half later, no building has been acquired or let out to the organisation in the area.
He said: “The Royal British Legion is 'homeless' which, to be quite honest with you, I, like many other people think is a disgrace.
“I’m not a member of the Royal British Legion but I have a lot of respect for our elders for what they did.
“It was brought to my attention by a group of ladies and gentleman from the RAF.
“They were having a meeting at the Generals Arms in Chesham Town Centre and on talking to a gentleman, he explained the situation and I think it’s a disgrace.
“I’ve been told that there is a potential premises for them but it’s completely empty – it’s like a basement.
“Chesham Council should be ashamed of themselves.
“They’ve tried to find something but it’s all down to the finances and they’ve not been able to function as a charity in Chesham.”
It’s not the first time the charity has fallen on hard times in Chesham.
In 2009, the previous club house burned down in a shocking fire.
They were uprooted until 2015 when they took up home in the McMinn Centre.
And in March 2023, secretary Ralph Baker remained optimistic about finding a new base soon.
Sadly, this has not been the case.
A spokesperson from Chesham Town Council: “The Town Council has always been sympathetic to the needs of the Royal British Legion, as a fundamental and indispensable part of our community, and we are committed to continuing to support the club to find a permanent residence as we have done with other community groups in recent years.
“The Town Council currently do not have any available sites on land that it owns that would be suitable as a permanent home for the club and we would encourage the club to continue to work with all landowners across the town, including private landlords, to identify a long term solution.
“In the meantime, we will continue to work with the club to secure their long term future."
The charity provides financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants.
A spokesperson for the Royal British Legion said: "Royal British Legion Clubs are run as separate entities to the Royal British Legion charity.
"The RBL has no responsibility for the management or activities of the clubs, which are run as businesses.
"The Chesham RBL Club closed back in 2022, but the local branch in Chesham is still meeting regularly and are in ongoing conversation with the Council about moving to a new premises in the near future."
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