The Grange Leisure Centre and Royal British Legion’s Midhurst & District Branch announce partnership supporting Armed Forces community

The Grange Leisure Centre and the Royal British Legion’s Midhurst & District branch have officially launched a new partnership aimed at supporting veterans, reservists, serving personnel and military families in the local community.

 The partnership was formally launched during a Friends of the Armed Forces Family Breakfast event held at The Grange Leisure Centre on Saturday 17 October, coinciding with the regular Monthly Market and took place just before the formal launch of the 2026 Poppy Appeal. This provided the perfect opportunity for a dozen members and supporters of the local Armed Forces community to connect with each other, as well as raising over £150 for the Poppy Appeal.

 The new partnership will see The Grange and Royal British Legion’s Midhurst & District Branch work together to raise awareness of the support available to veterans and military families, encourage community connections and deliver a series of fundraising initiatives. 

The Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal launched on Thursday 22nd October and shines a light on Armed Forces families, recognising the unique challenges and sacrifices they make in support of their loved ones who serve.

 Jason Davis, General Manager for The Grange Leisure Centre, said: “Supporting veterans, serving personnel, reservists and military families is incredibly important to us. We are proud to officially launch this partnership with the Royal British Legion’s Midhurst & District Branch and look forward to working together to raise awareness and provide support, with the intention to make a real difference in our community.”

 James Palmer, Chair of the RBL’s Midhurst & District Branch, said: “We are proud to partner with The Grange Leisure Centre to raise awareness and support our local Armed Forces community. With around 600 veterans living in the area, plus serving personnel and their families, the RBL is here for everyone whatever the need. This partnership will help us connect people to vital services, from financial and housing support, adapting to civilian life, and physical recovery programmes to building lifelong camaraderie.”

 Councillor John Cross, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Place at Chichester District Council said: “It’s so important for communities to support their veterans, military individuals and families. This is a fantastic initiative which I hope will make a huge difference.”

 The Friends of the Armed Forces Family event provided an opportunity for attendees to connect with others from the Armed Forces community, learn more about local support networks and hear about plans for the partnership over the coming year.

For more information about The Grange Leisure Centre, visit: https://www.moreleisure.com/the-grange-community-leisure-centre/

 For more information about the Royal British Region, visit: https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/

Leisure Solutions Community Trust (LSCT), in partnership with Serco Leisure operate three leisure facilities on behalf of Chichester District Council. All three centres are operated under the customer-facing MORE Leisure brand.