Just two years ago, the future of the Oldmeldrum branch of The Royal British Legion was hanging by a thread.
The nationwide charity was set up to help members of the Armed Forces and their families more than a century ago.
But as times change, many are facing an increasing struggle to survive – while it’s a battle some have already lost amid plummeting memberships and rocketing costs.
Oldmeldrum wasn’t going to lose its Legion without a fight, however.
As word spread about its financial struggles, hundreds gathered in the hall at Market Square in a last-ditch attempt to save the local institution.
One thing was clear: Times had changed and the Legion would have to move with them to survive.
In stepped Benn Sievewright…
Who is Benn Sievewright and why was he the man for the job?
Benn was handed the daunting task of dragging the Oldmeldrum Legion into the 21st century.
It required something of a military operation.
And it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Benn, who served in the Navy for seven years as a communications specialist.
Now, after 30 months of hard work and dedication, the Legion’s newly renovated bar and lounge is finally opening.
I spoke with Benn and heard the incredible story of the Legion’s revival, including:
- The dire state of disarray the institution found itself in
- And why he is changing the Legion’s reputation as “just an old man’s pub”
How close was Oldmeldrum Legion to closing?
Two years ago, The Oldmeldrum Legion was in a grim state, similar to those many others across the country.
Funds had dried up, and the town centre institution had fallen victim to rising costs.
Benn remembers that town hall meeting well, recalling how the venue filled up with scores of worried residents.
The 33-year-old tells me: “We couldn’t produce enough funds and we were going to close.
“The situation was very dire. The building wasn’t well utilised; it was run down.”
But despite it almost looking like a lost cause, the emergency summit ended with light at the tunnel for the Oldmeldrum Legion…
What happened next?
Walking out of the meeting, the group had come up with a plan.
A committee had been appointed, with Benn in charge – and they were armed with a whole host of bright ideas.
The only problem? None of them had ever taken on a challenge quite so big.
The former Navy man remembers: “Over 200 people turned up from the community, and if we wanted to keep the place open, we needed to appoint a committee.
“Once we took over, the old committee pretty much just left and gave us a little bit of info about what they were doing.
“But there were no rules on how to run a legion, so it was a pretty hard year-and-a-half to figure all that out to begin with.”
And once they started delving a little deeper into the Oldmeldrum Legion’s books, things became more clear as to how they had got themselves into this hole…
What were the problems at the Oldmeldrum Legion?
The first question the new taskforce had to answer was simple enough on paper.
“Why were they not getting enough money in the door to keep the place open?” Benn asked himself.
But things soon became clear, as he uncovered the monumental expenses the Oldmeldrum Legion had racked up.
The annual gas and electric bill was an astonishing £40,000, and staff wages alone took up around £50,000 a year.
Benn reckoned the old guard perhaps weren’t all that keen on change.
He explained: “There was a lot of pushback. ‘Oh, it’s never been done that way, it’s always been done this way’.
“It was what you would expect of a typical legion, an old man drinking pub.
“But they had to realise, if you carry on doing things the way you’ve been doing them, it’s not going to remain open.
“People don’t like change but unless you make change, you can’t get the benefits.”
Benn looking to prove the doubters wrong
Benn and his team soon set out to restore the Oldmeldrum Legion back to its former glory.
With the help of council grants, they managed to install massive upgrades to the buildings insulation – bringing down the eyewatering gas bill.
And the spruced up lounge bar has now reopened – with a grand celebration to mark the occasion yesterday.
Benn is hopeful that this can be a turning point for the venue, saying: “It feels amazing to see all the hard work completed.
“The feedback that we’re getting from people, even into the build-up of the event, has been great.
“It gives you pride in the community that we’ve actually achieved this when a lot of people along the way told us we would never be able to do that.
“You get a lot of negative feedback over the past six to eight months but now people are realising that what we have achieved is a great thing.”
‘We have changed the perception that it is just an old person’s pub’
But for the team behind the Oldmeldrum Legion’s revival, this is only the beginning.
Most people view their local branch as just an “old man’s drinking pub” – but Benn is looking to change that with the new revamp.
He explained: “We have changed the perception that it is just an old person’s pub.”
And with that new outlook, Benn is hoping that this can be a new and successful chapter in the Legion’s almost century-long stay in Oldmeldrum.
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