A group of army veterans face losing their decades-old homing society after being served with an eviction notice.
Geoff Blackhall, 75, from Ellesmere Port, has been keeping pigeons for more than 65 years and is a member of the homing society based at The Royal British Legion (RBL) Club in Little Sutton. Geoff owns more than a hundred pigeons and says the birds are the "only things keeping him going" after losing his wife, who died after contracting coronavirus last year.
Despite a racing pigeon club having been based at the site for almost five decades, earlier this year, Geoff was notified that he would have to start paying £100 a month to use the Little Sutton branch's facilities. When Geoff queried the sudden demand for rent, the club secretary informed him that the RBL Regional Property Manager had deemed the building as unsafe, therefore meaning the homing society had to vacate the premises with all of their equipment by the end of September.
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He said: “I pointed out that it was a bit strange that they wanted £100 a month off us when the building’s not safe anyway. They’re just making life so difficult for us, there’s a couple of the older fellas that have just packed in because they can’t stand it anymore and it’s not fair because that’s all they had."
With eviction now just weeks away, Geoff contacted the RBL HQ for help, citing a rule that the legion must provide subscription-paying members with facilities for recreational activities. The 75-year-old said the homing society received a visit from an RBL inspector who is planning to meet with the club's committee this week to discuss next steps.
However, the RBL told the ECHO the charity doesn't have authority over the affairs of its individual clubs and insists there has been no formal instruction for a RBL inspector to visit the premsies. The homing society has had no contact with the Little Sutton committee for more than a month, and is unable to appeal their eviction decision.
Geoff said: “They’re trying to get us out without giving us a reason. I don’t know where we go from here. The older fellas are really very worried about the future and what’s going to happen to the birds.”
Geoff spent 15 years in the army, six of which were with special forces. It was during that period that he sustained an injury which has left him with permanent damage to the base of his spine. The 75-year-old said most of the homing society's members are disabled and have lost their wives, with the pigeons offering an outlet to occupy them and "give them a purpose".
He said: “I left the army in April 1981 and, in May 1981, I joined the legion. I’ve been paying ever since. Since I lost my wife, I’m on my own. It’s only the pigeons and the guys at the club that are keeping me going really, so if I lose all that, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
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. It is therefore up to the individual club's management to decide who can use the Club facilities on a local level.”
The ECHO has also approached the RBL Club, Little Sutton, for comment.
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