On discovering that a dog could help support their autistic son, The Gill family reached out to The Royal British Legion for help.
Simon Gill and his wife Jo both served in the Royal Military Police from the late 1980s, mainly in Northern Ireland. They got married in 1994 and left the Forces three years later. The couple now have two sons, Ben, 15, and Jake, 13.
In 2012 when Jake was seven, he was diagnosed with autism and now attends a specialist school.
Read moreThe Royal British Legion’s Shropshire Poppy Appeal and St Chad’s Church unveiled a collaborative art sculpture to mark the First World War Centenary this week.
The Churchwardens of St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury welcomed the public to witness the unveiling of Shropshire’s sculpture to remember all from the county who gave their lives in the Great War.
The Shropshire Poppy Appeal and St Chad’s Church have been working with two local artists, Lyn Evans and Nik Burns along with Martin Phillips of Heritage Schools, to commemorate this special year.
Read moreCall to arms to help Armed Forces community access housing support as soon as possible
THE ROYAL British Legion is today calling on Service leavers and veterans to ‘get help early’ as they adjust to civilian life.
Not everyone struggles with the transition and, for many, difficulties with housing might not occur for many years after Service. Issues often arise due to unforeseen circumstances such as relationship breakdowns or financial complications however, the transient nature of Service life, confusion over how to access support services, and often a reticence to ask for help, can cause a unique set of challenges for the Armed Forces community.
Read moreApta and Jersey Plants Direct donate plants and pots to The Royal British Legion’s six care homes for residents to enjoy this summer
Residents of The Royal British Legion’s six award-winning care homes, four of which include specialist dementia care wings, have taken delivery of new plants and pots donated by Apta and Jersey Plants Direct, for their enjoyment this summer.
Dunkirk Memorial House in Taunton, Galanos House in Warwickshire, Halsey House in Norfolk, Lister House in Ripon, Mais House in East Sussex, and Maurice House in Kent have all gratefully welcomed the horticultural gifts, which include glazed poppy pots, geraniums, begonias, petunias, and impatiens.
Read moreFormer servicemen and women who are struggling to cope with life outside of the military are being urged to sign up to a Peer Support Service, delivered by veterans’ mental health charity Combat Stress.
Led by veterans for veterans, it’s the first UK-wide service of its kind for those with mental health problems. The Peer Support Service, funded by The Royal British Legion, helps those veterans whose mental health has been affected by their time in the Armed Forces, and who are experiencing loneliness and social isolation after leaving the military.
Read moreThe UK team for the 2018 Invictus Games was unveiled this morning in central London.
The first official gathering of the 72-strong team of wounded, injured and sick (WIS) serving military personnel and Veterans took place early this morning at Horse Guards Parade in London.
Help for Heroes is responsible for training, selecting and developing the UK team and this year saw record numbers of hopefuls apply to be on the UK team. The team is comprised of 13 Serving members of the Armed Forces and 59 Veterans. 64% of those selected are new to the Invictus Games.
Read moreThe Royal British Legion is calling on the UK’s veteran community to seek help during Deaf Awareness Week, after finding that 300,000 ex-service personnel are living with hearing loss.
Whilst the life-changing issues of PTSD and limb loss are widely recognised as results of warfare and Service, relatively little attention has been given to the number of ex-service personnel living with hearing loss, or the support made available to them.
Hearing loss can have a profound effect an individual’s quality of life, and has been linked to depression, stress and loneliness as well as reduced physical and mental health.
Read moreThe Royal British Legion has appointed Nicky Addison to be the charity’s first community Admiral Nurse in Bradford, providing support to carers of those with dementia living within the Armed Forces community.
Nicky, 44, from a village near Ripon, previously worked as an Admiral Nurse for a local charity in North Yorkshire. She qualified in 2003 as a Registered Mental Health Nurse and has spent 14 years working with older people.
Nicky said: “This is a completely new service for Bradford. One in three people over the age of 65 will be diagnosed with dementia and, because we 35,000 potential beneficiaries in Bradford, that gives you an idea of the level of need.
Read moreThis year The Royal British Legion is honoured to have been chosen as Charity of the Day and we’ll be celebrating the unique contribution of our Armed Forces community as One Legion – United by Difference.
Despite the differences between the Army and Navy so evident on match day, it is these differences that ultimately make us stronger when we stand together.
The Royal British Legion has been supporting soldiers, sailors and airmen past and present since 1921, and we’ll be here as long as they need us.
Read moreDame Barbara Windsor visits ex-servicemen staying at homeless charity that provides shelter to around 170 people, both serving and veterans.
Celebrating its 175th anniversary year, the Queen Victoria Seamen’s Rest (QVSR) is coming to the end of an extensive refurbishment programme. The Royal British Legion provided a £50,000 grant last year to part-fund the renovation of the bedrooms.
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Afghanistan support
In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here
