ISSUE 13 | AUTUMN 2019 Celebrating our Armed Forces SIR JAMES GILDEA AWARDS Recognising SSAFA volunteers and employees VOLUNTEER PROFILE Sally Dawson-Couper: Adoption in the Armed Forces BRITISH FORCES CYPRUS SSAFA’s Young Achievers’ Awards INSIDE THIS ISSUE CONTENTS 22 from the 04 Armed Forces Day 06 Sir James Gildea Awards NATIONAL CHAIRMAN 08 D-Day 75 09 Volunteer profile: Lawrence ‘Ash’ 28 Ashbridge The Annual General Meeting and Summer are Criminal Justice System now well and truly over, and I look back on our service. We raised £14.1 11 Soldiering On Awards: Jamie Small SSAFA Annual Members Meeting last July with million from donations, 19 real pride. We recognised the cream of the Sir legacies, regional and 10 SSAFA Young James Gildea Awards crop, with our SSAFA national events, and Achievers’ Awards President HRH Prince Michael of Kent, trading activities. You, 12 Case study: Meeting presenting each of our Global Awards. We our volunteers, raised an incredible changing needs filmed the event for the first time, and you can £2.2 million of that figure in your local now view this on SSAFAnet: ssaf.as/amm2019 communities. Yet more evidence of a 14 Volunteer profile: momentous year, and if you haven’t seen Frances Purves You may have browsed our new website it yet, view our full Impact Report here: 15 SSAFA Dorset: but if you haven’t you really should. We’ve ssaf.as/impact2018 Woodland Wellbeing consolidated the information available, Project reducing the original 1,200 pages down to This edition of Despatches is themed around 16 SSAFA Surrey: Frimley 250. This means the website is more in celebrations and awards, including the Sir 04 keeping with the digital age and the website’s James Gildea Awards, Armed Forces Day, Green Junior School statistics are revealing that users are finding it D-Day 75, Battle Proms (which raised another 18 Volunteer profile: more accessible, resulting in more people record sum of over £67,000), VE Day 75 Sally Dawson-Couper finding what they need, which is all good (taking place next year) and stories from 19 Adoption in the Armed news. In addition, the website is more secure, volunteers around the UK, as well as from the Forces and it now facilitates digital payments. It is Republic of Ireland, Cyprus and Brunei. You integrated with our fundraising database and will also find a section about SSAFA@140, 20 Our community in Brunei we are gradually seeing the seamless linking CMS2 and Thyngs technology. Something for 21 Joining Forces: of the branch microsites - I look forward to everyone; caseworkers, mentors, visitors, Supporting our older browsing through more and more of them as fundraisers, chairs, secretaries, helpers, veterans they come online. regional representatives and even treasurers! 22 UK Armed Forces Rugby Since the last edition of Despatches in the Thank you for everything you do, waving the 23 RAF Benson: Spring, we have collated all our data from SSAFA flag and helping so many members of No job, too small 2018, and this has provided us with the Armed Forces family. Great work! 24 Big Brew Up success information on how we are changing people’s lives. We helped over 82,000 people and 25 VE Day 75 If you have any stories for future sourced £13 million to support those in most 26 SSAFA@140 need. Our tireless 5,655 volunteers editions of Despatches, or feedback 27 Tech corner completed 35,819 visits and cases, slightly about our SSAFA magazine, fewer than previously but all reports indicate 28 Battle P roms 2019 this is because they are more complicated 30 Dates for your diary please email [email protected] and more time consuming. In 2018, we helped Lieutenant General 2,229 people through our housing services Sir Gary Coward KBE CB and 1,012 people through our Veterans in the Chairman SSAFA, Queen Elizabeth House, 4 St Dunstan’s Hill, London EC3R 8AD Phone: 020 7403 8783 | [email protected] | Facebook: SSAFA | Twitter: @SSAFA | Instagram: ssafaarmedforcescharity Registered as a charity in England and Wales Number 210760, in Scotland Number SCO38056 and in Republic of Ireland Number 20202001. Established 1885. S454.1019 02 03 Supporting SSAFA ARMED FORCES DAY BIKE RIDE On Sunday 16 June, 50 people took part in the Armed Forces Day Bike Ride, organised by Wiltshire Council as part of the national Armed Forces Day celebrations. The ride OUT OF CONFLICT, featured teams from SSAFA, Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire Fire & Rescue, Wiltshire Council and OUT OF MIND: teams from all the platinum and gold THE IMPACT ARMED sponsors for the event. OF FORGETTING Our SSAFA team consisted of our SSAFA OUR FORCES Controller, Andrew Gregory; Stephen Oxlade, SSAFA’s new research, commissioned for FORCES Chairman of SSAFA Wiltshire; and James Grant, Armed Forces Day, revealed that outdated SSAFA’s Head of Corporate Fundraising & misconceptions of the modern-day military are Events. They braved the hills and weather to having a concerning impact on public support ride 75 miles around the Wiltshire countryside, for the Armed Forces. The findings found that taking in various military bases along the way. almost a quarter of people (31%) admit they DAY Well done to all! would never support a military charity, with half of the public surveyed unaware of where SSAFA WAS PROUD TO BE THE our Forces are currently based or the range OFFICIAL CHARITY PARTNER AT THE of operations in which they are involved. Understanding of historic conflicts and events NATIONAL ARMED FORCES DAY EVENT – such as D-Day – was higher (58%) than IN SALISBURY AT THE END OF JUNE current military activities. This lack of understanding is clearly impacting on Working together with our Wiltshire Branch and public support for the Forces. the Wilshire Council, SSAFA was part of a three- day celebration consisting of a variety of events, We will continue to raise awareness of the parades and concerts – all dedicated to military Armed Forces, not only through our research personnel, their endeavours to protect our nation but via the hard work of all our volunteers and and their families who sacrifice so much. employees in the UK and overseas, who enable SSAFA to provide support to our service men SSAFA volunteers and employees took part in the and women, veterans and their families at their Salisbury celebration as well as many other Armed time of need. Support SSAFA: ssafa.org.uk Forces Day events across the country and beyond. There were also a number of initiatives taking place in the lead up to the weekend itself, including Big Brew Up events, a Reservist Reception hosted at HMS President and the Armed Forces Day Bike Ride. Everyone involved in the Armed Forces Day events did an amazing job of fundraising and raising awareness of SSAFA’s work supporting the Armed Forces community. 04 05 SIR JAMES GILDEA AWA R DS 2019 Our Sir James Gildea Awards are an amazing opportunity to Celebrating the exceptional contribution of our SSAFA volunteers and employees. celebrate and recognise our volunteers and employees The SSAFA employees In July, HRH Prince Michael Lincolnshire Branch. Mark initially SSAFA’s activities in Durham. awarded were: of Kent, our SSAFA President, joined as a Caseworker five years He contributes in a variety of presented 10 volunteers and two ago and has been the Divisional roles: Divisional Treasurer for IT Officer and trained Mentor introduction of mandatory DBS SUE HARTLEY employees with Global Sir James Secretary for Cleethorpes & North Durham, Branch Training in West Oxfordshire. He has checks, Office 365 and support Gildea Awards. These SSAFA Grimsby Division for three years. Officer for Durham, and as an assisted with a whole range of with the CMS system. Sue was the HR Manager for Awards are an opportunity to Mark initiated a wide range of outstanding Caseworker. He also divisional and branch activities SSAFA in British Forces celebrate and recognise our initiatives, including a drop-in stands in for other roles such as including fundraising and Germany for the last 13 years. JOHN ARTHUR volunteers and employees for clinic for veterans in Cleethorpes Divisional Secretary, if required. awareness raising. He also looks She has been awarded for her their exceptional contribution as well as undertaking numerous after the social media and Lt Col (retd) John Arthur, exceptional support to SSAFA and commitment to SSAFA PR, fundraising and SSAFA microsite for the division and Divisional Secretary for Braintree employees affected by the draw ALAN RAVENSCROFT activities and values. awareness activities. branch. in Essex, was nominated for his down of troops from Germany Awarded for supporting excellent leadership skills as well back to the UK, working closely The volunteers awarded were: vulnerable clients with as taking on very complicated with the senior management JEAN HASSELL TONY FRENCH complicated problems as a cases as a Caseworker. team, Sue managed the Jean was awarded for her work SSAFA Caseworker for over 27 Tony has been an enthusiastic John also stepped in when the redundancy process over SARA HAIN for SSAFA as Divisional Secretary years. Alan ensures clients Branch Champion for Office 365 in neighbouring division in Saffron a lengthy period. She is Sara has provided outstanding for two separate divisions, receive the highest level the SSAFA Herefordshire. Helping Walden required a Divisional approachable, professional support to SSAFA in the Camberley and Spelthorne, of assistance possible. Pursuing with the introduction of SSAFA Secretary, as well as continuing and tirelessly provides support capacity of Branch Treasurer as well as being a Caseworker. civilian and military charities for email addresses for volunteers and his work for Braintree. to employees. for Lanarkshire and four Volunteering since 2011, she was funding and following up with getting his Branch online.