British Legion branch forced to sell up HQ

A LOTHIANS branch of the Royal British Legion is being forced to sell its premises as a result of falling membership.

The North Berwick branch cannot afford to keep its Dunbar Road base running because of dwindling membership, a lack of support and rising costs.

The branch has operated in the town since the 1940s. It is understood it will now look to sell the premises to a new owner and lease it back in a bid to raise some much-needed cash.

Money raised from the sale will be used to pay for ongoing upkeep costs, as well as the rent.

Douglas Adamson, secretary of the branch, said it would continue to have an involvement in the annual Remembrance Day parade and poppy appeal in the town.

Mr Adamson said: “It’s falling membership, in a sense, that’s causing the problems. We have overheads, like everybody else, and we are just finding things are getting a bit tight.

“We have people interested in the premises and it’s a question of if we sell it, we want to lease it back so that we can carry on for as long as we can.”