A blind veteran from Wrexham has been formally presented with the Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur for his part in the liberation of France.
Eric Andrews, 92, was presented with the prestigious honour in Llandudno, North Wales by French Honorary Consul, Mrs Aude Auclair. The ceremony was arranged and organised by Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women, from whom Eric receives support.
Read moreA blind veteran from Hampshire who was invited to compete in the inaugural Holman Prize has emerged victorious as one of the three winners.
Penny Melville-Brown OBE, from Fareham, was selected as one of the 11 finalists from over 200 original entries. Run by the San Francisco Lighthouse organisation, the three winners will be awarded $25,000 to achieve their ambitions. Penny’s goal is to cook across six continents with her online Baking Project, Baking Blind. The two other winners are Ahmet Ustunel and Ojok Simon from the United States and Uganda respectively. Ustunel is planning on completing a solo kayak from Europe to Asia, while Simon is aiming to build a blind-led social enterprise for beekeepers.
Read moreCombat Stress has developed a pilot intervention programme to support partners of veterans diagnosed with PTSD, after research revealed the burden of caring for a veteran can put them at risk of developing a mental health condition themselves.
In the first study of its kind, Combat Stress, the UK’s leading mental health charity for veterans, surveyed the mental health needs of 100 female partners of former servicemen diagnosed with PTSD. Of the women surveyed, 45% had alcohol problems, 38% had depression, 37% had anxiety and 17% showed symptoms of PTSD.
Read moreThe CEO of F4H and The Brathay Trust’s Senior Learning and Development Consultant had the honour of being invited to RAF Halton to witness the latest recruit Graduation Parade. It was a moving and humbling experience, bringing back memories from May 1983 for this particular individual! It was a privilege to share the obvious pride and joy being shown by so many Mums, Dads, friends and families as their sons and daughters began their careers in the RAF. Many thanks to Station Commander RAF Halton for his hospitality.
Read moreAn 84 year-old blind veteran from East Sussex has taken part in a horse riding week organised by Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.
Keith Mann, originally from Kent, attended the course school in Wrexham, near the charity’s training and rehabilitation centre in Llandudno, North Wales. He received a Rosette for having attended twice.
He says: “It was actually my second time doing it, my first experience being in early 2016. If anything, this time was better as I was challenged to do a bit more. I was able to try riding different types of horses, different breeds.
Read moreForces Radio BFBS is challenging cadet members and units worldwide to submit 10-60 second videos that capture their activities.
And now it’s getting competitive as every video is in with a chance of winning £500 worth of kit from The Cadet Kit Shop.
Entries are open now until Friday 1st September 2017, when the winning video will be chosen by the Forces Radio BFBS judges.
Read moreBlog by Elizabeth George, Armed Forces specialist fundraiser
One could argue that the military charity sector is bursting with great leaders…Highly ranked, well known individuals who have done extraordinary things, under extreme circumstances and achieved the traditional trappings of heroic leadership in the process.
Many of these great men and women have had full careers leading Service people, and now lead the organisations that serve those self same Service people and their families.
Read moreRoyal British Legion Industries will provide specialised dementia training to their 120-strong nursing workforce based in Kent, following a government grant, in order to tackle the growing lack of care for dementia patients.
The military and disability charity are set to receive £350,000 for the programme which will be delivered in partnership with Dementia Care Matters and will see all of those who care for elderly veterans in RBLI’s Aylesford village receive year-long dementia care training – while more than 30 staff members will receive university-level tuition.
Read moreFollow this link to all the latest news from the RAF Families Federation.
Read moreA blind veteran from Southampton who receives vital support from Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women, has visited the charity’s gold medal-winning show garden at the prestigious RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.
Keith Ott, 90 and from Hedge End, visited the garden as part of a special week of gardening activities for blind veterans with green fingers held at the Blind Veterans UK training and rehabilitation centre in Brighton.
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