Friends of SSAFA Somerset

A fundraising group that went on to support SSAFA Somerset for over twenty years!

The Friends of SSAFA Somerset has sadly now closed.

Following the final Annual General Members meeting in April 2026, the group was formally dissolved, after more than 20 years of fundraising in support of the SSAFA Somerset Branch.

Fundraising and awareness activities are now entirely conducted by SSAFA Somerset. 

If you have any enquiries about the Friends of SSAFA Somerset, then please send a message using the contact form on the SSAFA Somerset page.

 

From tin rattling to card tapping… a short history of the Friends of SSAFA Somerset:


The Friends of SSAFA Somerset (FOSS) was proposed as a fund-raising initiative to support the Branch in 1997 by Sir Jerry Wiggin (Vice Chair) and Brigadier David de Courcy Morgan (Chair). A suggested annual target was set at £10,000 per year.

An initial mailing list was prepared for the distribution of newsletters to promote any fundraising events. The newsletter was later redesigned into a colourful 6-page edition celebrating past Branch events and promoting future activity.

This system of communication worked well for several years but it was later agreed that a wider audience could be reached if FOSS could create its own website, in tandem with the Branch. 

The Friends of SSAFA Somerset


With the support of a social media representative on the committee, FOSS was able to communicate with a far wider audience and raise awareness of not only events but what SSAFA could do as a military charity with the voluntary support of caseworkers.

In order to reach the target of £10,000 a year many diverse activities were organised – ranging from rattling a tin for street collections, Big Brew Ups, fashion shows, open gardens, golf days, theatre productions, raffles, tombola and attending community events.

FOSS moved with the times and as the trend for card payments became more evident, a simple tap on a collection bucket with the SSAFA logo became more popular.

None of the FOSS activities could have happened without the loyal and enthusiastic support from many volunteers who have over the years offered great enthusiasm and energy in helping to reach the annual target and celebrate the great work of the Somerset Branch.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered for and supported the Friends of SSAFA Somerset!

 

The Friends of SSAFA Somerset

 
You can see more pictures from over the course of the Friends of SSAFA Somerset's history in our picture gallery here: