End of an Era as Altcar Veterans Pods Set to Close After Years of Community Support

The organisation responsible for The Pods at Altcar Training Camp has confirmed that arrangements are now being made for the future disposal of the facility, bringing a sad conclusion to a project which veterans, volunteers, local businesses and members of the community spent years helping to create.

Formby Bubble contacted the North West Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association after it announced the difficult decision to close The Pods, asking for further information about why the project could no longer continue and what would happen to the facilities.

We have now received a response from the Association, which has also provided Formby Bubble with its full statement on the closure.

The Pods have a long history in our local community.

Formby Bubble first followed the project during its development in 2017, when an extraordinary community effort was taking place at Altcar Training Camp.

The original vision was to provide a peaceful and secure retreat for injured, sick and wounded members of the Armed Forces and veterans.

Four wooden accommodation pods were created alongside facilities designed to allow those who had served to spend time in familiar surroundings, meet other veterans and serving personnel and enjoy some much needed respite.

What made the project particularly special was the number of people who helped make it happen.

Local businesses provided materials and services, organisations donated money and local residents and veterans volunteered their own time.

Businesses and organisations supporting the project over the years included Total Timber, Spotmix Concrete, Pauls Tyres, Regent Coaches, Formby Tool Hire, Rotary and Masonic organisations, Maghull Carpets and Sovini.

Residents organised fundraising events while volunteers carried out painting, landscaping, maintenance and building work.

A container was converted into a workshop and facilities were developed including accessible wet rooms, kitchen and toilet facilities.

The retreat eventually included accommodation, a welcome centre, kitchen and ablution block, workshop and recreation space, outdoor seating, barbecue facilities, a fire pit and a viewing area overlooking the River Alt.

However, the project encountered significant difficulties over the years.

Planning issues meant formal permission was required and the Covid pandemic caused further lengthy delays.

During those years, veterans continued to maintain and improve the facilities while the Pods waited to fulfil the purpose for which they had originally been created.

The passage of time also resulted in deterioration to some of the wooden buildings.

Further funding was subsequently secured, including £14,000 from the West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity towards upgrading the facilities and improving accessibility for disabled veterans.

One badly damaged pod was replaced and further improvements were undertaken.

After years of setbacks, three of the four pods finally became operational in June 2025.

Veterans and their families were able to stay at the retreat free of charge and demand appeared strong. By November 2025, it was reported that the three operational pods were fully booked until the end of the year.

That makes the decision to close the facility particularly sad for those who spent so many years supporting it.

It is also notable that discussions about an ambitious future for the project were still taking place relatively recently.

In August 2026, plans were being discussed for the site to become a veteran led outdoor wellbeing retreat where veterans and their families could reconnect, recover and recharge.

Following the announcement that the Pods would instead close, Formby Bubble contacted the North West Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association.

We asked what had ultimately led to the closure, which alternative operating models had been considered, whether financial, staffing or operational difficulties were involved, whether another veterans organisation could potentially take over the facility and what had changed following the more recent discussions about its future.

Sarah McEntee, Communications and Projects at the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association for the North West of England and the Isle of Man, told Formby Bubble that the organisation recognised the significant contribution made by the community.

She said:

“We absolutely recognise and greatly value the significant contribution made by veterans, volunteers, businesses and members of the local community in supporting The Pods project over many years. We are grateful for the time, effort and resources that so many people invested in the initiative.

“The decision to close The Pods was not taken lightly and followed careful consideration of a range of factors. While we appreciate the questions you have raised, the published statement reflects the fullest position we are able to provide at this time and we do not have any additional information to add beyond that statement.

“We understand there will be disappointment among those who supported the project, and we are grateful for their contribution over the years.”

The Association also supplied Formby Bubble with its full statement, which we are publishing below in full:

NWRFCA Statement – PODS Altcar Camp

“Following a review of the long-term future of the Pods at Altcar Training Camp, North West Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association has taken the difficult decision to close the facility.

“Originally established with the ambition of providing a dedicated space for the armed forces community, the project has faced a number of challenges over the years. Despite considerable efforts to explore options for repair, management and future operation, no sustainable model could be identified.

“While this will be disappointing for those who supported the project, we believe it is important to be honest about what can realistically be delivered and maintained for the future.

“We remain extremely grateful to the individuals, organisations and businesses who have supported The Pods over the years. Arrangements are now being made to return available funds to donors where appropriate and to manage the future disposal of the facility responsibly.

“This has been a difficult decision, but one taken following careful consideration of the long-term interests of the Association and the communities we serve.”

The reference to the future disposal of the facility provides the clearest indication yet of what will now happen, although no details have been given about exactly how or when that disposal will take place.

The Association has also not provided further details about what prevented a sustainable operating model being found or whether there remains any possibility of the Pods or facilities being transferred to another organisation.

Formby Branch of the Royal British Legion previously described the announcement as “a very sad day”, saying:

“A very sad day that the pods that have been looked after at Altcar Training Camp and have had so much work put into them by veterans over the years, to be no longer available to those who need them.

“At this time we do not know what will happen to the pods.”

For Formby Bubble, this is a particularly sad story to report because we have watched the project develop over many years.

We saw the generosity of local businesses and organisations, the fundraising, the donated materials and, perhaps most importantly, the countless hours of voluntary work put in by veterans and members of the community.

After years of planning difficulties, Covid delays and maintenance work, the Pods finally began doing what they had originally been created to do.

Now, little more than a year after three of them became operational, the facility is closing and arrangements are being made for its disposal.

Whatever ultimately happens to the buildings themselves, the enormous contribution made by the veterans, volunteers, businesses, organisations and local residents who supported the project over the years should not be forgotten.

They created something with a very simple purpose: to give people who had served their country somewhere safe and peaceful to spend time, recover and support one another.

It is incredibly sad to see that come to an end.