Darren Kelly, the new chairman of Okehampton’s Royal British Legion (RBL) branch is planning to re-energise the branch’s community presence with a host of new projects for the coming year.

Following the branch’s presence in Okehampton’s Remembrance Sunday parade, Mr Kelly announced that he had plans to ‘rebuild the reputation of the branch’ which had been in danger of closing.

He said: ‘Having such a massive response to [the parade] is fantastic. In the new year, we’ll push forward with some new projects.

‘Without people coming through the club doors and spending time with the club there is no branch.’

Mr Kelly plans to implement a new youth activity with the cadets which would include cleaning military graves in the Okehampton area and researching some of the local Second World War personnel. He also plans to update the RBL’s building to include proper kitchens and lifts and also hopes to introduce card readers.

Mr Kelly wishes to allow non-members to use meeting rooms which traditionally have been reserved for paying members only.

This idea, he said, received interest from the Okehampton Rotary club and a local women’s group. ‘I think we need to be realistic in the fact that you know people want to use it and I think it needs to have some sort of flexibility,’ he said.

At veterans’ request, Mr Kelly is going to organise a mess ball and Burn’s Night celebration next year.

Currently, the club is focusing on filling vacancies on the branch’s committee and encouraging members of the public to sign up as members. The branch’s AGM will take place on Monday (November 29) at which Mr Kelly will be confirmed as chairman and a new secretary and treasurer will be voted in. All members are welcome to attend.