SSAFA News Summer 2013

ISSUE 1 | SUMMER 2013

Lifelong support for our Forces and their families

SSAFA NORTON HOMES BIG BREW UP FORCES COMMUNITY

10 PUT THE KETTLE ON7 FIFTH ANNIVERSARY 12 SWANSEA FOCUS

NEW LOOK ISSUE

INTRODUCTION

2 SSAFA NEWS

NEWS

SSAFA NEWS 3

WELCOME TO OUR NEW LOOK SSAFA NEWS

ST DUNSTAN’S HILL

SSAFA’s Central Office has moved back across the River Thames! The new office will allow us to better support our Forces community around the world, both by giving us the chance to expand the way we help today and the space to develop new services in the future.

Gareth Malone joined more than 40 Musical Directors (MDs) at their inaugural Workshop at The Royal Military School of Music.

The MDs were given the opportunity to meet Gareth, discuss the successes of the last year and learn new skills, vocal exercises and choral pieces to take back to their choirs, so helping

them to continue in their future musical endeavors.

Gareth said; “To date, we have over 60 choirs across the British Forces world and the fact that we had at least one representative from nearly all of the choirs shows just how important the Foundation has become to the Serving Community.”

We were successful in three of our applications for money made available through the Libor Fines. The announcement came less than a month after we were awarded a grant of £1.1 million to help develop our Support Groups.

SSAFA won grants for the following three projects:

— The SSAFA Mentoring Service £350,000 to enable SSAFA to continue to help wounded

or injured service leavers make the transition into civilian life. The project will support at least 200 people before the end of 2013.

— SSAFA Short Breaks £207,508 to support our five separate short breaks.

— Mental Health First Aid This new project is to receive £547,000, which will help us train 200 volunteers as Mental Health First Aiders.

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News

4

Living the brand

6

Life on the Falklands

7

Happy anniversary Norton Homes

10

A ‘thank you’ brew

12

Welcome to Swansea

14

Supporting those who serve

15

Skyfall

16

In your area

18

One great Marathon day

19

The final word

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Although we have recently updated our brand identity, the fantastic work we do has not changed. In fact, SSAFA has provided lifelong support for our Forces and their families since 1885.

We continue to help thousands of different people in hundreds of different ways. Unfortunately, we only have space to tell you about

some of our work in this edition, including the 5th Anniversary of our Norton Homes and the 50th Anniversary of our Social Work Service.

We could not do what we do without the best volunteers and staff in town. So thank you for your continued support.

Have a lovely summer.

Editor Gabriele Black

Editor: Gabriele Black [email protected]

Art Director: Catherine Leyland

Editorial contributors: Lizzie Clark, Athol Hendry, Michael Ivatt, Sarah Viner, Lucy Walters

Closing date for contributions for Winter 2013: 1st September

Queen Elizabeth House 4 St Dunstan’s Hill, London EC3R 8AD T 020 7403 8783 F 020 7403 8815

[email protected] ssafa.org.uk

Registered Charity Nos 210760 & SC038056. Est 1885.

We look forward to

welcoming you

on your next visit.

MILITARY WIVES CHOIR’S WORKSHOP

MONETARY BOOST FROM LIBOR FINES

Gareth takes on the

Military Wives.

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4 SSAFA NEWS SSAFA NEWS 5

SSAFASSAFA

Athol Hendry, SSAFA’s Director of Communications and Marketing, explains why it was time to change our brand.

“ BRAND DOESN’T START AND END WITH A NICE LOGO – IT’S THE IMPRESSION A CHARITY MAKES, AND WHAT PEOPLE SAY, THINK AND FEEL ABOUT YOU. IT’S EVERYTHING YOU SAY, AND EVERYTHING YOU DO. IT’S HOW THE WORLD KNOWS IT CAN TRUST YOU.”

Vicky Browning: Director, Charity Comms

Strong brands have much in common, irrespective of the sector in which they exist. Clarity and consistency are key characteristics, particularly when they meet the challenge of communicating complex ideas in a simple, yet meaningful way.

And simple is good. Because the Armed Forces charity space is now more crowded and more fragmented than ever before. As a result, the public has been left confused and overwhelmed by the choice of multiple charities seemingly doing the same thing.

The question used to be “what’s the difference between you and the British Legion?” More recently it’s become “what’s the difference between you and Help for Heroes?”

The answer may be obvious to those in the know, but for the uninitiated and unsuspecting, it has been lost in the noise. The consequences are potentially serious. SSAFA may struggle to reach the very people that we exist to support – the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families.

Developing our brand is one way to prevent this from happening. Many other charities have done the same thing recently in an attempt

to clarify their own positions and engage more effectively with their supporters.

The charity rebrand with the biggest impact has probably been Macmillan Cancer Support. The organisation has seen recognition and market share increase rapidly since it changed its look in 2006. Closer to home, both the Army Benevolent Fund and St Dunstan’s have reinvented their brands in the last few years.

SSAFA’s Brand and Profile Review, done in 2011, was the essential precursor to our own rebrand. The review highlighted much that was good about what we already had, not least the extraordinary level of trust in SSAFA. But it also made clear recommendations for improvement.

One of the most straightforward recommendations was that SSAFA needs to ‘talk louder’. But talk louder about what?

SSAFA is a complex organisation that does many different things. An unintended consequence of this diversity is that our identity gets pulled in many different directions. Uncertainty, confusion and ignorance of what SSAFA is really all about have often been the outcome.

So one of the key challenges of the brand development process was to find a unifying story that everyone in SSAFA can own. Defining a brand position, the central idea that sits at the heart of any organisation’s identity, was the key to getting it right.

SSAFA’s new brand position is based on ‘Family’. It’s certainly not the only thing we do, but as the central idea around which our brand has been developed, it makes perfect sense. Because ‘family’ has been at the heart of what SSAFA has done for more than 125 years. It’s in our DNA. And it’s what SSAFA does better than anyone else.

Perhaps that unsurpassed history of supporting our Forces and their families is the basis for SSAFA being Britain’s most trusted charity? Trust is the Holy Grail for any brand so there is plenty to celebrate in the news that SSAFA was rated the most trusted of Britain’s top 150 charities in 2012.

It’s also one of the reasons why the name SSAFA had to be kept. But there’s a lot that is new about a brand that has been designed to help us tell SSAFA’s story more clearly than ever before.

Athol Hendry Tells the story of SSAFA’s rebrand.

The most recognisable part of any brand is its visual identity. It’s what most people think of when they hear the word ‘brand’. SSAFA’s new logo is designed to be simple, modern and confident. The three colours underlining the name represent our lifelong support for all our Forces.

How we talk, particularly in the written word, is just as important as our visual identity. The requirement to ‘relieve need, suffering and distress’ may still be there, but perhaps the style of language is not. Our words need to tell people that SSAFA is as relevant today as it ever has been. And they need to promote a common sense of purpose.

There is still plenty of work to be done. But the tools now exist to present a clear and consistent message about SSAFA to the people we need to reach most. Consistency is not always easy in an organisation with so many moving parts. But it is critical for success.

The message is simple. We need people to know that SSAFA is the charity that provides lifelong support for our Forces and their families. Anything less will be failure.

LIVING THE BRAND


NORTON HOMES HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

You could say that Mike Turner has led an eventful life – having spent 25 years in the REME during which time he clocked up tours in both Gulf conflicts and four in Bosnia.

In his spare time Mike has raised over £5,000 for SSAFA by taking part in the Ride of Britain, cycling from London to Edinburgh, two years running. However, it is fair to say that his current role as Manager of SSAFA’s Norton House at Headley Court provides his greatest challenge yet.

“This house just works – it does what it is supposed to do and we see the difference it makes to those who come here,” says

This year our Norton Home in Ashtead celebrates five years of families coming through its doors to their ‘home from home’.

We meet Mike and Patrick our two Homes’ Managers.

Mike. “I’ve learned not to judge people as they walk through the door. There are people I’ve seen with injuries you just can’t begin to imagine recovering from. But they do – people can surprise you.”

“It’s people that this job is all about. We’ve had incredibly inspirational people staying here and you take the lead from them. If they can laugh, you can too. The families we get here are those who have sustained the very worst injuries and they are the ones who need the House the most.”

Mike is frank about the impact on people’s lives. “There’s no one way of coping – and

Angela has many years experience of working with SSAFA, providing social work around the globe. Last year her children joined her for a wonderful adventure when she was deployed to the South Atlantic.

“Having visited in the past, I had no hesitation about taking my children down to the Falklands. Of all the places I have been, it is the number one posting for children. The safety, the security, the outdoor life and the wildlife, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“The chain of command here really understands our role and what we do. The problems are similar around the world but the smaller the commands, the fewer resources you have available. However, if needed, they will move heaven and earth to get someone home.

“There is a lot of time to think out here and combined with isolation, problems can magnify so those with low level mental health problems can become unwell quite quickly. Equally, sometimes being away from the stresses of life back home allows us time to support someone through an existing problem and help them with few distractions.”

“I am hoping to continue travelling but there are also professional rewards in working for SSAFA. Having a manageable case load means that I can prevent problems escalating and give genuine support. Such a service is just not possible in local authorities where you have to prioritise clients based on risk.

“It has been a steep learning curve but at least I can empathise with other people’s situations as my husband and I are apart while I am posted. My husband has been away from his children for the best past of a year so we now understand what it is like to be separated from loved ones for so long.”

Michael Garret, currently Senior SSAFA Social Worker in Gutersloh Germany, is going to be Angela’s replacement.

“I am really looking forward to my deployment this summer. It will be very different from Germany with lots of single servicemen so far from home and so isolated.

“My wife is coming out with me. We have been apart for over a year. I think my family are a little apprehensive as the Falklands has been in the news a lot lately. Being away for so long can be hard for emotional reasons. I won’t see people for so long but I think its an opportunity too good to turn down.”

Robert Templeton, Director of Social Work says; “ All of our social workers need to adapt to military life quickly, be willing to move around and be self sufficient. A sense of adventure helps.”

With SSAFA Social Work marking its 50th Anniversary, we spoke to Angela Whatley, who is coming to the end of her year long deployment

on one of SSAFA’s remotest postings, the Falklands Islands.

LIFE ON THE FALKLAND ISLANDS

More than 3,000 people

have stayed at a Norton Home.

Mark Garret Is looking forward to time in the Falklands.

We have Social Workers in the UK,

Western Europe, Gibraltar, Cyprus,

Brunei and the Falkland Islands.

SSAFA NORTON HOMES

HAPPY ANNIVERSARYNORTON HOMES


NORTON HOMES NORTON HOMES

sometimes people don’t. We’re here to listen, sometimes provide guidance and support in as relaxed an atmosphere as possible. The next step after Headley Court is for people’s lives to start getting back to normal and we need to help prepare them for that process. We won’t start something here that can’t be continued at home.”

The house is spacious, modern and furnished throughout with homely touches. Building work is currently being done to convert an under used Cinema room into a self-contained flat to provide more flexibility of use.

As well as families the house has seen some distinguished visitors over the past five years including Margaret Thatcher and Mike Tyson, not to mention Kath Ryan, the ‘Cake Lady’, who comes down from Birmingham once a month to provide the injured personnel with their favourite cakes. “They have given the most important gift they can give – their time.”

So what is his best bit of the job? “I see the process of families recovering – that provides incredible job satisfaction.” And the worst? “There isn’t one!”

Patrick explains: “The family will be given a briefing on what has happened and will be referred to Norton House. Often the injured will have received immediate treatment at Camp Bastion and as soon as they are in a stable condition they are flown to Birmingham. Sometimes we have families arrive here who haven’t even seen their relatives yet and don’t fully know what to expect.”

“We are here to try to get some normality into people’s lives in those very difficult early days. A lot of our guests don’t have a military background themselves they just happen to be the parent or wife of someone who is serving so we have a role to play that is both practical helping them through what can be quite a daunting system but of course the emotional side of what we do here is tremendously important.”

“It is very humbling to work here – for all of our training we can’t know what our guests are going through. One of the things that really stands out is how supportive families are of each other. Those that have been here for a while will show a new family the ropes.”

“We give families details of their local SSAFA branch and the family support group and typically after leaving here they will go on to Headley Court for the next part of the recovery process so we do keep in touch.”

Bronwyn’s son, Cayle, serves in the Light Dragoons. He was injured in May 2012 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

He was caught in a blast resulting in major injuries including the amputation of both legs, partial left hand amputation, and extensive other injuries, the most significant of which was a blast lung.

His chance of survival was given as 10%. He spent six weeks in a coma and 11 weeks in total at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, transferring to Headley Court when he was ready.

“The staff were all fantastic and made us feel very welcome. Nothing was too much trouble, even though Cayle needed daily bed changes because of open

wounds. Mike spent a lot of time chatting to us and reassuring us, and he was a great comfort. He and Cayle get on very well and still spend hours chatting when Cayle goes there on weekends.”

“Without a doubt I would recommend Norton Homes to anyone who unfortunately finds themselves in our position. They’ve been a lifeline to me.”

On Christmas Eve 2007, Mark Ormrod was 24 and serving with 40 Commando Royal Marines in Afghanistan. He was on a routine patrol in Helmand Province when he was caught up in a mine explosion resulting in catastrophic injuries including the loss of three limbs. He was the first British triple amputee of the Afghanistan conflict.

Mark says: “We were very lucky as Norton House opened the very

first weekend that I went to Headley Court. Having the House available for us made all the difference. It meant we could get away from a clinical environment and relax somewhere that was more homely, but we weren’t under each other’s feet – no pun intended!”

Reflecting now on the ethos of the house he says: “I think Norton House provides an extremely valuable service and I’m sure everybody that has stayed there

will say exactly the same. Mark has been involved with SSAFA on several occasions since being injured. Just six months after the event in July 2008 he did a parachute jump for SSAFA raising nearly £3,000.

“I did the skydive to help raise money for SSAFA to give something back. It is a great organisation that really does do a lot for the Armed Forces and their families.”

“A beautiful home providing much needed

respite for the stress of life changing injuries.”

Ashtead visitor

BRONWYN & CAYLE

Meanwhile, up in Birmingham, Patrick Hogan is no slacker either. In contrast to Mike Turner at Headley Court, Patrick does not have a military background and before managing SSAFA’s Norton House at Selly Oak had worked in the Criminal Justice System. Despite having taken part in the Ride of Britain in 2011 for SSAFA he claims he is not an avid cyclist: “Mike roped me in – I hadn’t been on a bike for 20 years. Never again!” He vows.

The Norton House in Birmingham has been open for four years since 2009 and plays a vital role for families who find themselves in the immediate aftermath of learning that their loved one has been seriously injured in Afghanistan.

Mark Ormrod

Cayle Royce

MARK NORTON HOUSE, HEADLEY COURT’S FIRST GUEST

The house is slightly smaller than the one at Headley Court but the same homely touches and warm welcome are evident in abundance.

Changes are coming to Birmingham with a new larger home (18 bedrooms) opening up on the site of the Hospital. This is a Fisher Home built to an American model, and funded by the Fisher House Foundation and Help For Heroes. Patrick and the team are full of enthusiasm for the new project as SSAFA will continue to run Norton House whilst being the managing agents for the new home.

And how does Patrick sum up his feelings about his job? “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Mike Turner

Patrick Hogan


Sally Veck’s daughter, Private Eleanor Dlugosz was a combat medic in the Royal Army Medical Corps. She was killed in Basra, Iraq, in April 2007, when a roadside bomb destroyed the Warrior armoured vehicle in which she was travelling. She is one of only five female military personnel to have died on operations in Iraq.

Sally did not think she was eligible for help from SSAFA but after speaking to Roger Bacon, the Chair of SSAFA’s Bereaved Families Support Group, Sally and her family were invited to Westminster Abbey for a special Christmas service at the end of 2007.

She says, “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go but Roger said that we could come along and if it wasn’t for us we didn’t have to stay.

“SSAFA were amazing and paid for our accommodation and even offered to cover the cost of our transport but we wanted to pay for that to say thank you.”

Sally and her family joined a number of other families whose loved ones had been killed in action or who had served in the Forces and had passed away, for the special Christmas service at Westminster.

Sally continues, “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.”

BIG BREW UPBIG BREW UP

A bereaved Mum was grateful for the support that she received when she needed it most.

This is her Big Brew Up story.

This year, we are delighted to announce the support of TV Chef and former member of the Royal Corps of Signals, Lieutenant Colonel Dick Strawbridge, MBE.

He has kindly donated his favourite baking recipe for you to enjoy. You can find it on our Big Brew Up website thebigbrewup.org.uk

Dick says: “Having served in the Army for over 20 years, I know the difficulties military families face. It’s hard moving home so often, and all the members of a family feel the stress when a mother or father, son or daughter, deploys away from home for months at a time; service life is not always easy. That’s why the work that SSAFA does is so important, their work is truly life changing.

“Holding a Big Brew Up might not seem like a lot, but the money raised from Big Brew Up’s around the world will go towards helping SSAFA help our Service men and women, and their families. What a great excuse to catch up with your friends over a cup of tea and a piece of cake. So go on, put the kettle on and get baking!”

DICK STRAWBRIDGE

Since that first meeting, Sally has continued to be an active member of the Bereaved Families Support Group and last year, to show her support of SSAFA, she held her first Big Brew Up.

At first, Sally thought she would hold her Big Brew Up at her house but after some thought, she decided it might be easier to hold it at an external venue.

Sally takes up the story, “Once I had decided that it was not going to be practical to completely clean and renovate my house to host a tea party with ‘fine bone china’ in my conservatory that is full of dog beds and horse rugs, we settled on the village hall. Close by, good parking, lovely loos, great kitchen and already clean and tidy!”

Sally and her family were supported by the Fundraising Team at Central Office. They supplied Sally with her ‘Big Brew Up Tool Kit’ which included fundraising tips, posters and decorations; so all Sally had to do was recruit her army of cake makers!

With cakes sorted, tea bags donated, fillers organised for sandwiches, board games dusted off, real ale ordered and china washed for the big day, Sally set her sights on the raffle.

Sally and her mum visited all their surrounding villages and were amazed by the generosity of those who donated and in the end the raffle table was worth at least £700! There was Champagne, bouquets of flowers, baskets of fruit, clothes, cosmetics and even tickets to Go Ape – a real treasure trove of prizes!

Sally and her team were all sorted, soon the Big Brew Up day dawned and they waited nervously for their first guests…

“We needn’t have worried, news of our Big Brew Up had reached far and wide, with visitors arriving from Kent, Yorkshire and Somerset. When it was time to leave everyone seemed well fed and had a wonderful day!

“We were so chuffed with the day and I can’t thank people enough for attending and donating – we raised £1,073 for SSAFA which is a phenomenal amount… and we can’t wait to beat that figure in 2013!”

To hold your own Big Brew Up, visit thebigbrewup.org.uk for more information.

For more support group information visit ssafasupportgroups.

org.uk

BIG BREW UP

A ‘THANK YOU’ BREW


FORCES COMMUNITYFORCES COMMUNITY

TERRY & AMANDA

Alan did eight years service in the Army and four years in 66 Airborne Regiment. He recently moved to a flat close to the town centre, however, the flat did not have carpets or curtains. David also helped provide Alan with kitchen equipment including a washer dryer and a fridge.

ALAN

Lynda had been married for nine years when her husband left her. Lynda and her ten year old son had to leave their married quarters and moved back to Swansea. Shortly after, her mother sadly died. We worked to support Lynda through the breakup and have given her the help she needed.

LYNDA

Ken served with the Royal Navy for nine years and recently returned to the UK through ill health. We helped him fight for suitable housing and helped to pay for carpets and electrical kitchen items. His SSAFA volunteer ensured he was well looked after following his hospital stay.

KEN

Like many SSAFA volunteers, David Singletary has the perfect blend of tenacity, humour and straight talking to make him highly effective in putting people’s lives back on track.

As Chairman for our West Glamorgan Branch he oversees a team of 44 volunteers. Last year, working with other charities, they raised nearly £100,000 for more than 150 people.

“With the squeeze on welfare we often have to fight for our clients to ensure not just that they get the help they deserve, but often just that they get what they are entitled to”, says David.

“We are seeing people coming to us in increasingly dire circumstances, relationship breakdowns can lead to extreme hardship and sometimes even homelessness. The welfare systems can be slow, bureaucratic and adversarial which puts off a lot of vulnerable people from accessing help.”

“I probably put in more hours now than when I worked as a salesman but this is different, its about people but the skills can be the same, persuasion is important.

“Clients are changing and we’re changing with them. We still get a lot of the older folks who need support but increasingly it is the basics that are missing. I have been to elderly clients living on their own who had been discharged

You’re never far away from your local SSAFA team. Whether you’re in the UK or overseas we are here to help.

Our team in Swansea is led by David Singletary.

from hospital without any care packages. I turned up to find one client in bed not having eaten for a couple of days and suffering extreme dehydration. The doctor sent him back to hospital as an emergency. Goodness knows what would have happened had I not paid a visit.

“People are regularly expected to get by without cooking equipment, carpets and fridges. Sometimes we have had to buy food for clients. No doubt things are going to get busier as welfare cuts start to make an even deeper impact.”

One area of success has been in helping Army families returning to civilian life from overseas commands. “We had a terrible situation where a family returned from Germany to start a new life but found that the house they had been allocated was in such a terrible state it was dangerous.

“Being overseas means that families are unable to see their accommodation in person and by the time the families have arrived in the UK to move in it is too late for second thoughts. Families were being forced to take on homes that are in various states of disrepair using up cash and time that could be better spent.

“As a result of us highlighting the case in the press the council offered to provide potential tenants based overseas with a DVD of their home to a help them to make a more informed decision.

“By pointing out the needs of service families, the council recognised that they were inadvertently discriminating against them.”

“Without SSAFA to keep an eye on me I would probably have been dead as there

was no help coming from anyone else.”Ken Miller

Terry served with the QRH as a trooper for nine years, and has two small children with a third on the way. Returning from a posting in Germany they found their new council flat was no place for a young family. We helped liaise with the council and supported them whilst they worked on the flat to make it somewhere they could live.

David Singletary The ex salesman puts his time to good use, helping his local Forces Community.

If you are need a helping hand contact us

on 0845 130 0975 or visit ssafa.org.uk

More than 50,000 people are helped

annually by our 7,500 volunteers.

FORCES COMMUNITY

CROESO I SWANSEA


FORCES FAMILIES

something was very wrong and asked Euart to go and get the phone. I called an ambulance and within an hour and a half, Charlie had been rushed to hospital, given a CT scan and a blockbuster injection to stop any blockage that may have caused her symptoms. She was later admitted to the Stroke ward at Ninewells hospital in Dundee.”

Charlie continues: “My first reaction was that I couldn’t believe it could happen to me and my second reaction was what about my family? It was obvious that I was going to be out of action for a while and I didn’t know how Ricky would cope with balancing his job and caring for the children and for me.”

That’s where SSAFA stepped in. Her committee helped with the occasional pick up from school and

FORCES FAMILIES

George was still in a coma in hospital. Gary said: “I took on the task of coordinating the welfare provision and worked closely with The Rifles’ local and regimental welfare personnel. Our first priority was to find funding to cover the family’s regular outgoings, which were heavily inflated by the child care, transportation and telephone costs that resulted from George’s hospitalisation in Bristol.”

Because he was off duty at the time of the accident George was not eligible for treatment at MoD facilities. He was finally allowed home from hospital in December 2011 after further surgery and rehabilitation at Salisbury Hospital and it soon became clear that the family home in Ilminster was no longer suitable. SSAFA got in touch with Haig Homes and the family was able to move into a specially-adapted bungalow in Chard in 2012.

George said about his jump: “We fell from the plane, the noise, the buzz, the view, the almost impossible task of breathing while falling at 120mph. It was the single most incredible thing I have ever done.”

He is also raising money for a new wheelchair which will give him the capacity to ‘off-road’. He said: “I’ve got my manual wheelchair and a power wheelchair but this would give me so much more freedom.”

After his tandem skydive last October George is now planning a series of challenges. He said: “I wanted to give something back to the charities that have helped me and SSAFA was the first on that list.

“If I was happy to sit at home and play on my Xbox and do nothing all day a manual wheelchair would be fine but I had such an active life before I can’t do that. I want to be able to give something back to the charities that have helped me and at the same time help myself.”

George Pas jumped out of a plane to raise

funds for SSAFA. READ HIS INSPIRING STORY

Charlie is married to Corporal Ricky Milne whose last role before leaving the RAF was as a supplier with 6 Squadron based at RAF Leuchars. The couple have two children, Euart and Maggie, and have lived in Leuchars for seven years.

Ricky served for 22 years and during this time Charlie volunteered for her SSAFA In-Service Committee, doing whatever she could to help. She never thought she would have cause to call on them herself though.

Ricky picks up the story: “The 24th March 2012 started like any other ordinary day, we’d been out food shopping and I left Charlie and the children to unpack, whilst I mowed the lawn.”

“Thinking back, when I told Charlie that I was going to cut the grass she mumbled something, but I thought it was the usual comment about me getting out of putting the shopping away. Within a couple of minutes our son, Euart came running outside, saying that Mummy was talking funny and really upset. I ran inside to find Charlie, sat on the floor leaning to one side, not able to talk properly and very upset.”

“Being a member of the RAF Leuchars Emergency Response Team, I knew immediately that

Our Community Volunteers provide practical and emotional support when it is most needed.

also drove Charlie to and from hospital when Ricky or her parents couldn’t get there. Charlie’s parents lived in England, so travelling up to Leuchars was very expensive. SSAFA were able to help with their travel costs, so that they could be there to support Charlie and Ricky.

Ricky says; “We knew that the committee at Leuchars was second to none because of Charlie’s volunteering, but experiencing their support from the ‘other side’ has really shown us just how important the SSAFA support services are. They made an incredibly difficult and worrying time a lot easier and we will always be grateful to them for that.”

The last word comes from Veronica Wootton, RAF Leuchars’ Service Committee Volunteer Co-ordinator,“Charlie is an amazingly, courageous lady who always puts everyone else before herself and is one of my most trusted and reliable RAF Leuchars Service volunteers. Only six months after her stroke she was back volunteering and continues to be an active member of our team.”

If you have time to give a couple of hours to help our Forces and their families contact us via our website ssafa.org.uk/volunteer or ring our volunteer team on 0845 130 0975.

Charlie Milne Didn’t let a stroke get in the way of volunteering.

Sgt George Pas was just 36 when a motorcycle accident left him paralysed from the chest down and wheelchair dependent for the rest of his life. But incredibly, just 13 months later, George completed a tandem skydive to raise money for SSAFA and a specialist new wheelchair, through his own ‘Giving Back’ campaign.

The father-of-four served with the Territorial Army in Sixth Battalion, The Rifles and is the veteran of two tours of Afghanistan and the recipient of the Colonel in Chief’s Award for services to his regiment. He had recently returned from a training exercise in Kenya with 3 Rifles when a car pulled out in front of him. George sustained serious injuries to his head, arms and wrists and broke his back in eight places.

Gary Pennells, of SSAFA’s South Somerset Division, met George’s wife Emma and family while

GIVING BACK

Do something unforgettable!

SUPPORTINGTHOSE WHO SERVE

SKYFALL


IN YOUR AREAIN YOUR AREA

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lan

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ho

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BLENHEIM SOUNDING RETREAT

His Grace the Duke of Marlborough allowed SSAFA Oxfordshire to take over the Grand Hall of Blenheim Palace to entertain 390 guests. £32,000 was raised by the event, which finished with a Sounding Retreat by the Band of the Rifles.

A huge thank you to everyone that

took part in May’s Big SSAFA Collection.

EAST YORKSHIRE & BAE SYSTEMS

BAE Systems’ Brough site presented a cheque to SSAFA East Yorkshire for a whopping £107,786. As well as the donation (raised over three years) BAE staff have also given up more than 2,500 volunteers hours for various projects.

Supporters of SSAFA Cumbria enjoyed a Dinner Dance during which Paul Hayes, a TV auctioneer and antiques expert, conducted an auction. Included in the auction was a beautiful quilt, called “Past & Present”, made and donated to SSAFA by Jean Hoskins. Also shown is the successful bidder, David Smith. More than £1,000 was raised.

RAF LINTON-ON-

OUSE

On the 10th April the RAF Linton-on-Ouse Service Committee held a ‘welcome to SSAFA’ event. The day included selling cakes and holding an exercise class in the gym at lunch time.

The RAF Akrotiri ‘May Muster’, raised more than €2,100. Featuring the Red Arrows, the event included activities at Akrotiri Primary School, a Red Arrow pull and Family Fête. Children at Akrotiri Primary School took part in a colouring/drawing competition judged by the Red Arrows Circus Blues, their engineering crew and wore red for the day. For a donation, individuals and teams could register to pull a Red Arrow aircraft 50 meters. Prizes were given to the fastest individual, the fastest three-person team, and the fastest “just for fun” team.

IN YOUR AREA

CYPRUS MAY MUSTER

CUMBRIA AUCTION

18 SSAFA NEWS

teamSSAFA

SSAFA NEWS 19

THE FINAL WORD

After months of preparation, taking on long evening jogs and early morning runs, battling harsh weather conditions and extreme ‘carb loading’, 38 teamSSAFA runners made their way nervously to the starting point of the 32nd London Marathon and waited for their race to begin.

For many, competing in the iconic Virgin London Marathon is a life long dream and everyone in the team crossed the finishing line to pick up their coveted ‘Finishers Medal’, raising £65,000 for SSAFA along the way.

This year, over 35,000 runners took part and with a record breaking number of supporters turning out to line the streets of London, it was a truly memorable day. SSAFA runners were heartily supported by a team of SSAFA supporters made up of staff, volunteers and family members at miles 13 and 23 who shouted encouragement, doling out strong high fives and handfuls of much needed jelly babies!

Jess Dawkins, our Corporate and Events Officer, said: “To be in the crowd supporting our amazing runners was such an honour.

The runners should feel a huge sense of pride, not just for finishing one of the world’s most iconic races but also for raising such an epic amount of money.

“We’re always on the look out for new teamSSAFA members and as well as having over 20 charity places for next year’s marathon, we also have a number of other challenge events which supporters can register for.”

For more information on available places visit ssafa.org.uk or call the fundraising team on 020 7463 9310.

teamSSAFA runners raised more than £65,000 during

the marathon.

A sunny day in April provided perfect conditions for the largest charity event

of the year, the London Marathon.

Having been the Controller for six months, I have now had the opportunity to see for myself exactly what SSAFA does, how it does it and who does it. In particular, I have had the pleasure of attending nearly twenty branch AGMs, meeting many of our 7,500 volunteers, from Fife in the north to Devon in the south, and from Dublin in the west to Suffolk in the east, with many places in between!

All of the AGMs have been unique and diversity has certainly been in evidence. Every branch is different, structured and focussed on local needs. But notwithstanding this diversity, I have detected some very clear themes.

Firstly, if SSAFA did not exist, we would have to invent it. We are responding to a really clear need and if we were not conducting nearly 50,000 cases each year, somebody else would have to do it instead. This vital work is just that – absolutely vital.

Secondly, volunteers are right at the heart of SSAFA, with the charity led and run by volunteers, as it should be.

Thirdly, our new strapline “Lifelong support for our Forces and their families” was absolutely the right choice – it sums up perfectly what we do. The launch of the new brand has gone down remarkably well but we must use it at every opportunity. It will not deliver a higher profile on its own.

This leads me neatly to the fourth theme – engagement with the public and others. It is clear to me that as an organisation we are not engaging as well as we should be.

By this, I am not talking about boasting about our successes – that is not the SSAFA way. However, I have lost count of the number of people who have told me that they know that SSAFA does good work, but do not understand exactly what we do or its breadth. We must do better.

Back at Central Office, as I write, we are packing boxes to move across London to our new home in St Dunstan’s Hill, where I hope to welcome as many of you as possible on your next visit.

More strategically, in June we will start to run the ‘new Norton Home’ – the Fisher House in Birmingham and we have started to deliver our new MoD healthcare contract in Germany. We are also holding our own in fundraising, which bucks a rather downward trend elsewhere in the charity world.

So, my assessment of SSAFA after six months? Simply put, financially we are currently OK, we have a tremendously strong national reputation for trustworthiness and we have some outstanding people – both volunteers and paid staff – who are doing a fantastic job. Thank you. But there is always more to be done!

FROM THE CONTROLLER

Controller, SSAFA

THE FINAL WORD

38 RUNNERS, 26 MILES,

1 GREAT DAY

SSAFA News Summer 2013

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Transcript of SSAFA News Summer 2013