We are immensely proud that, in 2016 alone, we assisted more than 67,000 individuals in many different ways, but always to alleviate suffering and hardship.
It is imperative that we balance the needs of our beneficiaries alongside a structured plan which ensures that the charity maintains financial sustainability in what is likely to be a challenging climate up to 2022 and beyond.
The research we have undertaken and the evidence and views gathered from our own volunteers, staff and beneficiaries – as well as the facts of the cases we are managing, collectively tell us that the demographics of those we support are changing and their needs are becoming more complex in nature.
SSAFA’s new strategy has been designed to address our challenges whilst ensuring we remain focused on our core role. This is, and will remain, the provision of personalised support on the ground, delivered through our volunteer network. This will continue and grow through a variety of means such as casework, mentoring, in-service community volunteers and our prison in-reach programme.
We have also concluded that an element of prevention, or early intervention, makes good sense as it should reduce the eventual demand for our services in the long run and enables us to help our beneficiaries before they hit ‘crisis point’.
Clearly there is a lot of work to do to develop and deliver this strategy and to create an operational business plan to meet the strategic objectives. It is however, an important step in ensuring that we at SSAFA continue to meet the changing needs of our beneficiaries and in ensuring that we are still able to serve them for years to come.
We want the Armed Forces community – those who are serving, those who have served, and their families – to know that whether at sea, on the ground, or in the air, ‘we’ve got their back’.
