Appeal to keep southern forces charity branch open

The Port Erin branch of the Royal British Legion was established in 1926

A southern branch of an armed forces charity on the Isle of Man is facing closure unless it can recruit committee members, the local president has said.

The Royal British Legion in Port Erin, which was established in 1926, is appealing for volunteers to take up five roles on its committee by the end of November.

Branch president Juan Watterson SHK said a several long-serving members had stood down due to illness, and it had been struggling to recruit replacements.

The Royal British Legion had been a "very visible presence" in the village over many years, and it would "leave a hole in the community" if it closed, he said.

There are 10 Royal British Legion branches across the Isle of Man, with the others operating in Douglas, Onchan, Peel, Ramsey, Braddan and Marown, Port St Mary, Castletown, Colby, Laxey and Lonan.

Annual parade

Watterson said, as the branches were formed under the British Legion Charter, there were minimum requirements of the committee, including the number of meetings and ensuring there was "good governance in place".

An annual general meeting was set to take place at the end of November, and new members would need to be in place by then, with training made available to volunteers, he said.

The Port Erin branch of the charity raises more than £8,000 a year in its Poppy Appeal, which goes towards helping veterans on and off-island through grants and mental health support.

And the annual parade from the memorial hall to the Parish church was a "landmark feature" in the southern community, and encourages a lot of people to participate, he added.