The following email and attachment has been received from The Royal British Legion:
Further to our conversation via the Wood Street Village website, I have attached a copy of the public consultation notice we have published. I would be grateful if you could encourage your residents to share their views on how we can better serve the needs of the ex-service people in your local area by filling out the relevant questionnaire on our website.
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your assistance.
HAVE YOU OR A MEMBER OF YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY SERVED IN THE ARMED FORCES?
If so we’d like to hear from you.
What is this about?
The Royal British Legion is looking at how it can make the best use of local trust funds held for charitable purposes for the benefit of ex-Service persons living in Wood Street (Guildford) and the surrounding district. These funds relate to the sale of a branch property (a Branch Property Trust) at 63 Wood Street Green, Worplesdon, Guildford, Surrey, GU3 3DU.
What is the Legion proposing to do and why?
Since this Branch Property Trust was created in 1950 the number of beneficiaries living in Wood Street and the surrounding district who are in need of the Legion’s services is believed to have substantially decreased. The local Legion branch which used the property has also closed, although there are other Legion branches which continue to support the Armed Forces community in the wider area.
The changes to: the number of ex-Service persons living in Wood Street and the surrounding district; and the way the Legion supports beneficiaries more broadly mean that the purposes of the Wood Street (Guildford) Branch Property Trust no longer appear to provide a suitable and effective way of using the funds that are available. The trusts indicate that in these circumstances the funds should be used for the Legion’s general charitable purposes. This means that they can be used in the same way as funds raised by the Poppy Appeal, to support beneficiaries who are in need of the Legion’s help wherever they live, and not specifically in Wood Street and the surrounding district.
The Legion’s proposal is to use the funds from this Branch Property Trust in the same way as funds raised by the Poppy Appeal.
How can you have your say?
The views of the Legion’s beneficiaries, supporters and members in in Wood Street (Guildford) and the surrounding district are important to us, so we would like you to share your thoughts with us on how we should use these funds. Please tell us what you think by completing an online questionnaire at www.britishlegion.org.uk/localviews. If you cannot complete the questionnaire online, you can call our Contact Centre on 08457 725 725 to request a paper copy. Paper copies of the questionnaire should be sent to Branch Property Trusts, The Royal British Legion, 199 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1AA.
Responses need to be received by us within six weeks from the date this consultation is launched.
Date consultation launched: Monday 18 November 2013
Deadline for responses: Sunday 29 December 2013
What will happen next?
Once a consultation has closed and we have made a final decision we will post the details on our website.
Where can I find out more?
For more information about the background to this consultation please visit www.britishlegion.org.uk/localviews or call our Contact Centre on 08457 725 725
