Sponsored by SSAFA
https:// https://www.ssafa.org.uk/about-us
https://www.ssafa.org.uk/support-us
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29 Nov 21. SSAFA Partnerships Update. Wow, 2021 has flown by and I hope you are looking forward to the festive season and spending some time with your friends and family. Here at SSAFA we continue to be there for our Armed Forces, and your ongoing support allows us to provide vital practical, emotional and financial assistance to service men and women (both regular and reserves), veterans and their families.
Thank you to everyone who held events this year to raise funds for SSAFA. Whether you completed a challenge, held a Big Brew Up, or organised your own fundraising activity we are so grateful to everyone who has supported us. Your kindness and generosity means we can keep helping the military community when they need us, including people like Tasha*
Suffering for four years in an abusive marriage to an RAF serviceman, Tasha* decided she had to take her young daughter and leave. But things were not that simple. Originally from a country in Southern Africa, Tasha thought she was unable to access support. That’s when she was introduced to SSAFA’s Stepping Stones Home, which became her lifeline.
“When we arrived, they treated us so nicely. I was so, so, so, so relieved.”
“I just wanted to put my head somewhere with my daughter, but I didn’t realise that it would be such a nice environment. It’s a place for people to heal and the accommodation is very well looked after.
“We were brought food, we were brought toiletries, we were given blankets, we were given everything we needed. I came with nothing but the clothes we were in.
“Being in a foreign country, I was worried I was going to be homeless. I had a spousal visa which made it hard to leave an abusive relationship, because my right to be here was connected to my husband, and as he hid it from me that made things harder. When I arrived at the refuge, I was comforted to know that there was an expert military lawyer to help me with my status.
“The team connected me with the relevant stakeholders, including a health visitor and GP who gave me access to counselling and put me on antidepressants to help me. They also provided us with some entertainment and really made us feel loved. They gave us vouchers to buy food and really went the extra mile. I also got a lot of support from the other women staying there. It was such a huge relief to find out that though we are from different countries, we all understood each other because we had all been through the same thing. I’ve learned so much, we’ve laughed, we’ve cried. I’ve made friends for life.
“Most importantly though, it is the staff there that make the place. They do everything to help. They are not just doing their job, they go further. You can even see tears in their eyes when they hear your stories or when you talk to them, they feel you every step of the way.
“Now my daughter and I live in our own home in a new city thanks to SSAFA’s help.
I want other women or partners in a similar position to know that they too can get help. There is support out there and though it is easier said than done, you can make it. You don’t have to put up with abuse.
“I’m just so grateful to SSAFA. There is no amount of ‘thank yous’ that can show my gratitude to SSAFA. I don’t even have words for it. It’s too much for me. I’ve never gotten any help like that in my entire life.”
*Please note that some names have been changed to protect identities.
30 Nov 21. ‘Thousands waiting for help’, says UK Veterans Hearing Foundation. Hearing loss became a hidden injury for veterans that went unnoticed for decades – now about 300,000 veterans are suffering. Past and present personnel have called on the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to better protect the hearing of service personnel. Veterans who suffer from hearing loss as a result of their military service are seeking support from the UK Veterans Hearing Foundation – but the charity says there are thousands who still need help. A range of hearing protection is offered across the services, but hearing loss became a hidden injury that went unnoticed for decades, with about 300,000 veterans now suffering. (Source: forces.net)
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SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, has been providing lifelong support to our Forces and their families since 1885. In 2020, our teams of volunteers and employees helped more than 79,000 people in need, the currently serving (both regulars and reserves), veterans from the Second World War and those who have served in more recent conflicts, as well as their families. SSAFA understands that behind every uniform is a person. And we are here for that person – any time they need us, in any way they need us, for as long as they need us.
https://www.ssafa.org.uk/about-us
https://www.ssafa.org.uk/support-us
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