FORMER servicemen and women made a special trip to a war memorial, thanks to a grant from Hertfordshire County Council.

More than 50 members of the Royal British Legion in Potters Bar took a coach trip to the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, on May 7, thanks to an £800 allocation from councillor Eddie Roach.

The funding, which came from the locality budget scheme, was also used to cover the costs of hiring three wheelchairs and refreshments.

Cllr Roach said: "The Royal British Legion is there to look after the welfare of those who have served in the armed forces - many during the times of major conflict - and I know that this excursion to the National Memorial Arboretum meant a great deal to the members."

Chairman of the Royal British Legion in Potters Bar, Maureen Dalton, said Councillor Roach had approached the branch and encouraged them to apply for the grant.

She said: "I thought that was very generous of him. It meant we could cover a lot of the costs which would have otherwise proved expensive."

She added: "They all want to go again. All they ask is if we can do something about the weather -it was really cold!"

The locality budget scheme was launched in July 2009 and each of the 77 members of Hertfordshire County Council are given £10,000 to be used for social, economic or environmental causes in Hertfordshire.

For more information about grants visit www.hertsdirect.org