Nearly £100,000 of public money allocated to support veterans facing loneliness in Northern Ireland was instead used to refurbish a building, according to internal documents from the Royal British Legion (RBL). The funding had originally been awarded for community-based activities such as craft sessions, theatre projects, and food programmes.
The case centres on the RBL branch in Tandragee, County Armagh, which received three grants totalling £140,000 from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCF). According to BBC News NI, only £41,000 was ultimately spent on the approved initiatives, raising concerns among observers about oversight and accountability in the use of public funds.
Majority of funding redirected to property refurbishment
The grants were intended to support three specific projects: an embroidery initiative for veterans with mental health issues, a theatre production programme, and a scheme aimed at tackling loneliness through food services and social activities. According to documents released under Freedom of Information requests, substantial portions of each grant were instead spent on refurbishing the premises shared by the RBL branch and Tandragee Veterans Support Centre.
In the case of the £35,000 allocated to the embroidery project, £31,000 was used for building-related costs, while only 10 veterans participated compared to the 40 initially proposed. Similarly, almost the entire £35,000 for the theatre project was spent on refurbishment, with the RBL noting no recorded expenditure aligned with the original funding purpose.
The largest grant, £70,000 for tackling loneliness, also saw £34,000 diverted to building works. Some of the remaining funds were used for project delivery, including an £8,000 payment to the Lyric Theatre in Belfast. According to BBC News NI, the RBL’s internal investigation found that most payments were made to contractors and suppliers rather than towards programme delivery.
The investigation also identified the installation of a fully serviced bar within the premises, despite neither organisation holding a licence to sell alcohol. The report concluded that the majority of funds had been used to refurbish a leased property rather than deliver the proposed services.
Oversight failures attributed to poor financial management
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, which distributes public funding to support veterans, acknowledged concerns about how the money had been used. According to correspondence cited by BBC News NI, the Trust raised issues about the use of funds for capital costs rather than programme activities and required assurances from the branch.
In a formal letter, representatives from the Tandragee Veterans Support Centre admitted that most of the funding had been spent on capital works rather than the intended activities. The Trust ultimately concluded that the situation resulted from “poor skills and understanding” in managing restricted public funds, rather than deliberate misconduct.
Despite these findings, the AFCF stated that two of the projects were completed satisfactorily and that the loneliness programme achieved “positive outcomes” for participants. The Trust also noted that the building improvements enabled some of the planned activities to take place.
The Royal British Legion reported the matter to the Charity Commission in 2024, which determined that no further action was required. Internal sanctions were imposed, and the Tandragee branch was placed under district administration before being formally closed. According to the RBL, it no longer has any interest in the property, which continues to be used by the Tandragee Veterans Support Centre for veterans’ activities.
