AN ARMY of more than 40 volunteers gave up their free time to help give one of the Royal British Legion's latest clubhouses a much-needed facelift.

The Bovington branch, which is set to open in September at the site of the former Clouds Inn pub, will become the first new RBL branch to open in 45 years.

Its opening comes after the cash-strapped RBL club in Bargates, Christchurch, was forced to closed earlier this summer.

At Bovington twenty employees from SGN's southern maintenance team joined forces with local residents and legion members, as well as teams from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and contractors.

And in just one day, these 43 volunteers completed the equivalent of two weeks work - cleaning the building from top to bottom and painting it, inside and out.

SGN project manager Simon Thurlow, who has been asked to become the club's vice chairman, said: "Being involved with the Royal British Legion and this new venture for the charity is an honour, and I'm confident it is going to bring so much to the local community.

"There's been a real will among residents and new Royal British Legion members in Bovington to get the club off the ground – people have been paying their membership even though there hasn’t been a club to go to, because they want to be involved when it opens.

"This 'can do' attitude was reflected in the volunteering day. We had a mammoth task to complete, but everyone worked like Trojans and it all ran very smoothly.

"Everyone had a great time and as vice chairman of the new club, I found it particularly rewarding to see it taking shape."

The pub has been leased to the RBL by the MOD, with three years abatement on the rent. The pub closed down four years ago.

RBL Dorset county chairman Gerry Nunn said: "One of the most heart-warming things I have seen for a long time was the SGN volunteers all working to help us get Bovington's Royal British Legion club ready for its opening.

"It was like DIY SOS without the celebrities. By the end of the day the club was well on its way for the finishing touches to be made.

"When the club opens in Bovington in September it will be as a result of the branch's persistence to provide a hub in which its members can socialise, and a centre for activities and events to support the armed forces community, and we are very grateful to the SGN volunteers for their support in making it happen."