A ROYAL British Legion club in Ryedale is thinking of severing ties with the Legion to help it survive.

Kirkbymoorside Royal British Legion Club is holding a special general meeting at the club in Shaw Drive in the town on March 20, at 7.30pm to discuss its finances.

The club celebrates its 40th birthday in November and employs four people. Club secretary Pam Sails said the decision was not an easy one to take.

“The club is struggling financially and of the £12.50 subs we get from members the club gets just 50p and the rest goes down to the Legion in London. Disaffiliation would mean we could probably charge a little less, but the club would get to keep it all which would be a better financial deal with us.

“It’s a big decision to take because the Legion needs all the support it can get, but we feel at the moment, that to help the club survive this is the way we need to go. If the members don’t vote for disaffilliation then we will just have to struggle on as we are.”

Mrs Sails said that the club currently had about 189 members who come from across Ryedale and as far away as Scarborough and York, is open seven nights a week and at lunchtimes and has a pool and a dominos team.

She said that as a limited company, the club belongs to the members and it will ultimately be up to them to make the decision.

If the motion is passed at the meeting then the club would then have to ballot their members to vote on the matter.

No one was available to comment from Royal British Legion when contacted by The Press.