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 moreLisa Jones, an OA Career Consultant and former Army officer, shared her top transition tips with BFBS Radio.
The time goes faster than you think. One year may sound like a long time but it will fly. Equally if you are in your last two years’ of service, start thinking about the future; the earlier the better! Plan your time by looking at dates for work placements offered by companies, career events you want to attend as well as considering that periods like Christmas and the summer break will be slow.
Read moreJoin us on Tuesday 12th June for what promises to be an informative session, providing sound advice to those wishing to prepare themselves in advance of attending an interview.
We are delighted to welcome Tracey Hall, Senior Resourcing Business Partner who currently works for Zurich within their in-house Resourcing Function, and will discuss how to go about preparing yourself for an interview.
Read moreBuilding your own wealth management business can be a very daunting thought, and this event will give guests the opportunity to hear firsthand how individuals have made the transition from an employed to a self-employed career. Attendees will hear what it is like to be a wealth manager, including what a wealth manager does, and how you can train to do this with the St. James’s Place Academy.
Read moreThe Porffor Group are a Cardiff based networking group for serving and ex-Navy, Army and Air Force Service men and women (including any international colleagues) who live locally. The aim is to facilitate opportunities for individuals to meet up with old friends and / or expand local contacts via regular events.
The group was founded by John Solosy, a Chartered Financial Planner who previously served as an Army Major.
Read moreGiving the gift of time to help Armed Forces community this Volunteers Week
SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity is marking Volunteers Week by celebrating its incredible 5,802 volunteers across the country who donated 1.25 million hours of their time last year.
Volunteers are at the heart of SSAFA’s work with the Armed Forces family. In 2017, SSAFA volunteers provided vital support to over 20,800 serving personnel, veterans and their families.
SSAFA branches provide personalised one-to-one support to the Armed Forces community in the area.
Read moreA Kent blind veteran who escaped a Prisoner of War camp has published a book about his wartime experiences.
Frank Unwin, 97 and from Orpington, authored the book ‘Escaping Has Ceased to be a Sport: A Soldier’s Memoir of Captivity and Escape in Italy and Germany’ which covers his several escapes from Italian forces and the bravery of the Italian peasants who sheltered him while he was on the run. The memoir also details his brutal experience of detention in a work camp in Germany and his participation in ‘The Long March’ in the spring of 1945.
Read moreScotty’s Little Soldiers’ founder, Nikki Scott, was kindly flown out to Washington, D.C recently to spend time with U.S. charity TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors). The trip proved to be a memorable one with Nikki returning to the UK with a number of learnings from TAPS.
Nikki founded Scotty’s Little Soldiers in 2010 after the death of her husband Corporal Lee Scott in Afghanistan. The charity supports children across the UK who have lost a parent while serving in the Armed Forces and has great synergy with TAPS in the US, a charity which offers compassionate care to those grieving the loss of a loved one who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces or as a result of their service.
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The Association of ex-Service Drop-In Centres (ASDIC) was set up last year for all those like minded organisations who manage veterans’ Drop-In centres. (OVERCOMES REPITITION) All over the UK there is a steadily increasing number of Drop-Ins where veterans and other members of the Armed Forces community may go for help and advice, or simply for companionship. It is a broad community and includes both the Merchant Service and Fishing Fleet whose veterans are welcome too. Currently there are believed to be about 60 Drop-Ins in operation and more are being discovered all the time and 25 have already joined ASDIC. Drop-Ins vary hugely in their modus operandi but all serve the same broad purpose, which is to provide social and welfare support to veterans and their families.
Read moreTramecia Garner, Associate Director for Housing & Residential Programs at US charity Swords to Plowshares, recently spent two weeks in the UK with Veterans Aid. From back home in San Francisco she reflects on her visit:
“Now that my time with Veterans Aid (VA) has ended I am left thinking back on these two weeks, what I have learned and what was the biggest take-away from my time in London. Not only did I learn about veteran homelessness in the UK but I also learned how one agency can have a large-scale impact on veteran care far beyond their doors.
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Afghanistan support
In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here
