Page 31 - South Issue 12

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The 70th Anniversary of D-Day was marked across
South Oxfordshire with a live screening of the national
commemoration concert at the Royal Albert Hall on
the 6th June. South Oxfordshire branches of military
charity SSAFA, one of the charities to benefit from
the event, reports that the needs of those who have
served is changing.
SSAFA is the longest established military charity
providing lifelong support for those who serve,
used to serve, and their families. It offers face to
face support and is uniquely placed to consider the
challenges faced by our veterans, both the elderly and
those who have recently left military service.
SSAFA’s Mike Mogridge, Oxfordshire Branch Secretary,
commented, “As time takes its inevitable toll on the
D-Day veterans, this year was the last of the great
anniversaries where we had the opportunity to thank
those who took part in person. Veterans deserve our
thanks and care; they have all served their country.
Some have suffered physically or mentally as a direct
result of their service life, others have financial or
emotional issues that may be unconnected with their
military careers.
“We support veterans of all ages but we are seeing a
change in the needs of those we help. The needs of
a D-Day veteran can be very different from that of
someone who has recently left the services. We are
seeing clients coming forward with far more complex
need these days. Often they have more than one
challenge that they need support with.
“We still assist with things like mobility scooters and
home adaptation, but we are often called upon to
provide critical care. Some veterans and their families
are experiencing extreme hardship and struggling to
provide the necessities of life such as a cooker or a
fridge and in some cases food or furniture. Others are
in need of more emotional support such as help with
accommodation or returning to employment through
training. SSAFA believes that our service personnel
and their families should be treated with the dignity
their commitment deserves.
“SSAFA offers support for the whole military
community, many people do not realise that they
SSAFA marks
D-Day 70th
Anniversary