Spring 2013

The newSleTTer for SSAfA SupporTerS

SSAFA NEWS SPRING 20132 SSAfA newS Spring 2013

Joining SSAfA

After 33 years of Service, six months ago i left the royal Air force early to join SSAfA.

I did this because, over the years, I have seen how SSAFA supported people who worked for me – Royal Navy, Army and RAF (and their families) and I was deeply impressed. So, when the opportunity came along to join SSAFA, I leapt at the chance. During my time in uniform, I served around the world, including Bosnia, the Falkland Islands and Sierra Leone. I saw first hand how life in the Forces can impact lives. Not only of those serving, but their loved ones too.

Life in the Forces can sometimes get too tough to deal with. Some families face real devastation and trauma when they’ve lost their mother or father, brother or sister on the frontline. Some husbands return severely injured. Some wives come back traumatised. This is when the help and support we give is so vital. We are there for anyone who has ever served in our Forces at any time and their families and the stories featured in this edition of SSAFA News show exactly how, with your support, we are making a real difference in the lives of over 50 000 people every year.

As both an ex-Serviceman and SSAfA’s Chief executive, thank you for all you do to ensure we can continue to provide lifelong support for our forces and their families.

our contact details:

19 Queen Elizabeth Street, London SE1 2LP

t: 020 7463 9225f: 020 7403 8815

e: supporter@ssafa.org.ukw: ssafa.org.uk

Registered Charity No. 210760 Est. 1885, Registered Charity (Scotland) No. SC038056

For more information on our work or to make a donation online, please visit ssafa.org.uk

Air Vice-Marshal The hon David Murray CVo oBe

SSAfA CenTrAl offiCe iS MoVing

On 28th May 2013, we will be moving office.

Our telephone numbers will remain the same. Please take note of our new address and use it in correspondence from 28th May.

SSAfA, Queen Elizabeth House, 4 St Dunstan’s Hill, London, EC3R 8AD

3SSAFA.ORG.UK

we have in the last two years carried out analysis of our name and profile to help improve awareness and understanding of SSAfA amongst the people we can help, both now and in the future.

Throughout the process, we consulted widely with our own volunteers and staff, in addition to external partners, supporters, serving members of the Forces and their families and members of our veteran community. We are most grateful to everyone who assisted us.

The result of the review is our new logo and accompanying strap line ‘Lifelong support for our Forces and their families’.

Of course, our new brand does not change the work done by SSAFA, which we hope continues to make a very positive difference to the lives of those who serve or have served in our Armed Forces.

Thank you for your support and commitment which ensures that help and advice is always close at hand for our Forces family.

If you have any questions or comments please email supporter@ssafa.org.uk or call 020 7463 9203 (Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm).

last year 770 people stayed

in SSAfA norton homes in Birmingham and Surrey.

4 SSAFA NEWS SPRING 2013

CoMMiTMenT DeSerVeS CoMMiTMenT

olive and philip’s son, hayden, always wanted to join the Army and signed up at 18. A few weeks after completing training in 2010, hayden was deployed to Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion royal welsh.

Whilst on patrol in June last year, Hayden suffered serious injuries as he went to assist a member of his patrol group who had detonated an Improvised Explosive Device. A second blast was triggered shattering his left foot.

Hayden’s mum, Olive, received news of her son’s injury whilst at work in a local school. Hayden was flown back to the UK two days later for further treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

An Army driver collected the family and took them to the hospital to be with Hayden. “We thought we would just be staying in a Travel Lodge so we were amazed when we saw the SSAFA

Norton House. It was out of this world, a real home from home. The staff were lovely. You didn’t have to worry about anything. Even the transport to the hospital was arranged for you,” says Olive.

Olive and Philip were so impressed with SSAFA Norton House and staff, that Philip’s colleagues raised £370 in support of SSAFA’s work.

Last year, a total of 770 people stayed at our SSAFA Norton Homes in Birmingham and Surrey. Those staying at the homes included injured servicemen. Our thanks to all our supporters who ensure our injured Forces and their families have a place they can call home.

5SSAFA.ORG.UK

But there’s more to it than just raising money. The events are also an opportunity to give advice, support, understanding and being able to show that there are other solutions to problems people may be facing.

For me being a volunteer is about raising awareness of what SSAFA can do.

People leaving the Services go out and totally forget that there is help there for them. So one of the areas we are working on is making sure that information is available in the resettlement briefs.

When Service personnel come to Northwood they also have an arrivals’ brief. It’s important they know that SSAFA is there for them whilst they are serving.

The more I have learned about what SSAFA does, the more I care about making sure my comrades know this.

MAKing A DifferenCe

i joined SSAfA as a volunteer eight years ago. i help SSAfA raise funds from collection tins, donations and fundraising events such as the Big Brew up.

Senior Aircraftman leon Buckley has been in the rAf for 10 years. leon is currently the Secretary of SSAfA’s Service Committee at rAf northwood.

Thousands of SSAfA volunteers help to make a

difference in many different ways wherever our forces are stationed.

help to raise over £100,000 each year

Big Brew ups around the world

in support of our forces and their families.

Sally Veck and her great Auntie nibbo

7SSAFA.ORG.UK

operATion Big Brew up

last year, i organised a Big Brew up in memory of my daughter eleanor, and to raise money for SSAfA who have been there for me and my family. eleanor, a combat medic in the royal Army Medical Corps, was only 19 when in April 2007 she was killed in iraq. A roadside bomb destroyed the armoured vehicle she was travelling in.

SSAFA introduced me and my family to other Forces families who have lost loved ones.

The moment we met the other families, there was a release of tension. These people, who we had never met, were just like us and understood what we were going through. We didn’t have to say anything. We just knew that there was a support there like no other. We didn’t have to put on a brave face, we could just be honest.

My mum and I took on the task of organising a Big Brew Up in support of SSAFA’s work. As well as sorting out the cakes, tea, real ale and sandwiches, we had a raffle. Local traders supported us tremendously with raffle prizes worth £700. The treasure trove of prizes included flowers, baskets of fruit, clothes, cosmetics and even tickets to Go Ape!

We were so chuffed with the day and I can’t thank people enough for attending and donating. We raised over £1,073 for SSAFA which is a phenomenal amount… and we can’t wait to join in this year’s Big Brew Up to help raise even more!

please join me and hundreds of other people up and down the country in the Big Brew up this october.

Sally Veck

The Big Brew up 7 - 13 october 2013 thebigbrewup@ssafa.org.uk | 020 7463 9359 thebigbrewup.org.uk

500 miles, 5 days, 39 cyclists, 1 team

£84,000 in support of SSAfA.

9SSAFA.ORG.UK

in September last year, i joined 38 other cyclists, including three Servicemen who had been severely injured in Afghanistan.

We cycled 500 miles from Edinburgh to London and raised £84,000 to support SSAFA’s work. Having served in the Army for 14 years and with my husband a former Royal Marine, SSAFA has always been a cause close to my heart.

As a SSAFA volunteer caseworker, I know how important fundraising is for the continued success of our work. So, with that at the front of my mind, I took the plunge and signed up for SSAFA’s Ride of Britain. Training was slightly daunting, but receiving the donations and messages of support gave me a huge sense of satisfaction.

The five days of cycling from Edinburgh to London were hard but the beautiful countryside made it all worth it and it was great to make new friends. The camaraderie was immense and as a group we formed a close bond.

This cycling challenge has given me a whole new hobby. I have become a complete road bike junkie! I go out nearly every day for a ride and every week with the cycle club I have recently joined. I’ve even taken part in other 100+ mile challenges – something I never thought I would do! Helping others through SSAFA is small pay-back for what I have got out of SSAFA’s Ride of Britain challenge.

Yvonne Loynes

A perSonAl ChAllenge

Challenge yourself in support of our forces and their families. Sign up for SSAfA’s ride of Britain, 25 - 29 September 2013.

teamssafa@ssafa.org.uk | 020 7463 9297 ssafa.org.uk/rideofbritain

10 SSAFA NEWS SPRING 2013

our Social work Team will this year mark 50 years of providing professional Social work Services to our forces and their families in military bases around the world.

In the 1960s, many families were posted to live alongside husbands and fathers who were in active service. SSAFA’s wealth of experience in supporting and providing for our Forces families was called upon.

Over the years, our Social Work Teams have assisted in crisis situations. In 1987, our teams helped when Herald of Free Enterprise ferry capsized moments after leaving the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. In 1992 we were there to support bereaved families who travelled to the Falkland Islands to remember loved ones. In 2006, our team helped care for over 4,500 British families who were evacuated from Lebanon.

Our Social Work Teams also pioneered in providing specialist services such as helping Forces families with adoption; a listening and sign-posting confidential support line, Forcesline; short breaks for Forces children and young people with a disability and

for siblings and young carers; and our Stepping Stone Homes.

Our thanks to all our supporters, volunteers and partner agencies who help to ensure we do whatever is necessary to meet the needs of our Forces family.

SpoTlighT on SpeCiAliST SerViCeS

Adoption: Forces couples and families face challenges when considering adoption through the local councils. Our adoption service ensures they have the support they need wherever they are serving.

Short Breaks: We help Forces children with an additional need or disability attend a special adventure short break which helps to build their confidence and also gives their family much needed respite.

forcesline: Our specially trained staff answer calls from around the world, helping our Forces community deal with war trauma, disabilities, money worries, loss and so much more. Last year, our team answered over 4,000 calls.

lifeline for our forCeS

AnD Their fAMilieS

50 years of providing professional Social work Services

to our forces and their families.

raise funds by taking part in events to support SSAfA’s work.

every year, thousands of inspirational people

13SSAFA.ORG.UK

giVing BACK

“i wanted to give something back to the charities that have helped me and SSAFA was the first on that list.”

George Pas served with the Territorial Army in Sixth Battalion, The Rifles. He is a recipient of the Colonel in Chief’s Award for services to his regiment.

Following a tragic motorcycle accident, George’s family faced financial constraints. When not in Afghanistan or training with his regiment, George worked as an agency lorry driver. He had no sick pay to draw on when he was injured to support his family.

SSAFA’s Gary Pennells met George’s wife Emma and their three children to find out how we could help them.

Gary said: “I took on the task of arranging for financial support for the family and worked closely with The Rifles’ local and regimental welfare personnel. The family needed help with their day-to-day expenses, which were heavily inflated by childcare, transport and telephone costs that resulted from George’s hospitalisation 40 miles from his family.”

Because George was off duty at the time of the accident, he was not eligible for treatment at Ministry of Defence facilities. Following months of surgery and rehabilitation, George was finally allowed to go home. However, due to his condition, his former family home was not suitable. Gary helped George and his family find and move into a specially-adapted bungalow.

Thirteen-months after the accident, George completed a skydive in support of SSAFA! The motorcycle accident left George, 36, paralysed from the chest down and wheelchair dependent for the rest of his life.

14 SSAFA NEWS SPRING 2013

A freSh STArT

Samantha harber was medically discharged from the navy 12 years ago following an injury onboard hMS Cornwall where she served as a wren Steward.

Samantha called on SSAFA’s help last year. She had returned to the UK with few funds, possessions and no legal documents having lived in Morocco with her husband since 2005. She had to leave him behind.

“I really was at my wits’ end when I rang SSAFA. I just didn’t know what to do and who to turn to. I had no money and no home. I really thought that was it, recalls Samantha.

“SSAFA’s Henry Heath was brilliant and really fought hard for me; when I literally had no clothes apart from those that I was standing in.

“When I came back I registered for housing and was placed in silver banding even though I was homeless

and sleeping on friends’ floors. Henry agreed to come with me to my housing appointments to fight for my rights and for the benefits that I was entitled to.

“I’m still staying with friends and family at the moment but I have found a job which I can’t wait to start and I will soon be moving into my own flat. SSAFA helped pay my deposit and my first month’s rent and most importantly, they provided me with a strong support network.

“If you’d asked me four months ago what I was going to do, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. But thanks to SSAFA, I have a future and I can put the last couple of years behind me and move on. I don’t think I would have made it on my own.”

every year, SSAfA helps more than 50,000 people in hundreds of different ways.

please send me more information on leaving a gift in my will

TITLE FORENAME SURNAME

ADDRESS

POSTCODE

TEL EMAIL

Please complete this form and return to: SSAFA, Freepost Plus RSGZ-AYEK-RHGA, 19 Queen Elizabeth Street, London SE1 2LP (no stamp required)

reMeMBer our

forCeS AnD

Their fAMilieS

in Your will

Gifts left to us in wills make our work possible. By remembering SSAFA in your will, you can ensure that our Forces and their families will have the support they need.

for more information on including SSAfA in your will and our work, please call us on 020 7463 9257 or legacy@ssafa.org.uk

In April last year, Lynn suffered a heart attack and wasn’t able to work as she recovered. Her husband, Paul, a Royal Air Force veteran, died four years ago after a long battle with cancer. Due to the timing of Paul’s death, Lynn was ineligible for a widow’s benefit.

Lynn called on SSAFA’s help.

When Mary went to see her in December, she realised Lynn wasn’t coping and was finding it increasingly difficult to make-ends-meet. Her flat had no heating or food and she was also struggling to meet the £40 monthly costs for her prescriptions.

Mary immediately arranged to get Lynn a prepaid “annual pass” to enable her to get essential prescriptions. SSAFA also arranged for enough money to be made available to fill Lynn’s freezer with food, put the heating on and also helped with essential repairs at Lynn’s house.

“I don’t know how I would have coped without the help and support of SSAFA and Mary, ” says Lynn.

Mary continues to visit Lynn to ensure that circumstances do not overwhelm her again.

neVer Alone

last Christmas, SSAfA’s Mary walker helped lynn rhodes stock up her fridge and pay for heating her flat.

We have been supporting our Forces and their families for more than 125 years. Today, thanks to our invaluable donors and dedicated volunteers, we help more than 50,000 people each and every year. We provide support to anyone currently serving or has ever served in the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army or Royal Air Force, and their families too. We are committed to being here whenever and wherever our Forces family need us.

ssafa.org.uk | 020 7463 9225 | supporter@ssafa.org.uk

every year, our 7,500 volunteers are available to support our forces family.

Mary walker (left) and lynn rhodes.