ABF THE SOLDIERS' CHARITY SUPPORT SSAFA

08 July 2019

10 August 2018

Casework:

ABF The Soldiers' Charity has awarded SSAFA with a grant of £200,000 towards its Central Office costs to assist the volunteer network. SSAFA’s casework service provides personalised face-to-face support to members of the Armed Forces community through a network of branches across the UK.

SSAFA caseworkers offer practical, financial and emotional support, including friendly advice on personal affairs, accessing financial assistance and assessing the need for special equipment for those with disabilities.

The service worked with 38,725 people in 2017. This new funding ensures that members of the Army family will be helped in their hour of need.

Forcesline:

ABF The Soldiers’ Charity has provided a grant of £87,000 to Forcesline, SSAFA’s free helpline, helping to ensure this vital service continues to be available for those in need of advice.

Our team of trained advisors offers confidential, empathetic and non-judgemental advice on a range of issues, including housing, health issues and debt. In 2017, Forcesline received 26,759 contacts, a 5% increase year-on-year.

Norton House Stanford Hall:

ABF The Soldiers’ Charity has generously awarded £59,251 towards the cost of furnishing the interior of the newly established Norton House Stanford Hall. This funding helps us to provide free accommodation and a welcoming and supportive environment to families visiting loved ones who are undergoing rehabilitation at the Defence National Recovery Centre at Stanford Hall. The facility is due to open in the autumn.

Making a difference to the dignity and independence of members of the Army family

These generous donations from ABF The Soldiers’ Charity will allow SSAFA to continue its vital support to those currently serving and veterans of the British Army plus their families.  Thanks to their support, we can continue to adapt to meet the needs of those who contact SSAFA and we are extremely grateful.

- Sir Andrew Gregory, Controller, SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity

SSAFA caseworkers are such an integral part of providing assistance to veterans who are in need of a hand up. They are often the first point of contact for those that we help, so it is imperative that The Soldiers’ Charity continues to support SSAFA to allow them to carry on their important work.

- Brigadier (Ret’d) Robin Bacon, Chief of Staff, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity 

ABF The Soldiers’ Charity is the national charity of the British Army. It gives a lifetime of support to soldiers, veterans and their immediate families, in times of need. The Soldiers' Charity make grants to individuals through their Regiments and Corps and supports a wide range of specialist charities that sustain the British Army family, both at home and around the world. It takes pride in being responsive and making a difference at a critical point in peoples’ lives. It has been doing this since 1944, working with veterans of every conflict, and it envisages continuing doing so for the ‘long haul’ - supporting all future generations of our soldiers and their families.

Last year, The Soldiers' Charity spent £9.5 million supporting more than 4,300 individuals and making grants to 85 other charities and organisations which helped to deliver specialist support on its behalf. Overall, its work touched the lives of around 70,000 people across 62 countries worldwide.