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16 August 2010

Blair to donate book proceeds to British Legion

The £4.6m advance and royalties from Blair’s forthcoming memoirs will go to a sports centre for inju

By Caroline Crampton

Tony Blair has announced that the proceeds from his forthcoming memoir, A Journey, will be donated to the British Legion.

The £4.6m advance and all the royalities are to be donated to the Legion’s Battle Back Challenge Centre, a sports centre for injured soldiers that is due to open in the summer of 2012.

A spokesman for the former prime minister said: “In making this decision, Tony Blair recognises the courage and sacrifice the armed forces demonstrate day in, day out.

“As prime minister he witnessed that for himself in Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone and Kosovo. This is his way of honouring their courage and sacrifice.

“We have been consulting with a number of people and organisations to decide the best support he can give. There is one project consistently highlighted: the Royal British Legion’s Battle Back Challenge Centre.”

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