Forty Years Service

05 December 2019

A Salisbury volunteer who has given over forty years’ service to SSAFA, The Forces Charity, was presented with a Certificate of Service by SSAFA Controller Sir Andrew Gregory in a ceremony at The Wardrobe on Monday 2^nd December.

Jill Makepeace-Warne began her service with SSAFA whilst accompanying her husband as he was posted around the world and has continued to this day.

The award was made in front of members of Salisbury Division at their Christmas lunch where they were joined by SSAFA Wiltshire Branch Chairman, Stephen Oxlade.

Presenting the award, Sir Andrew commented that he rarely presented 30-year awards, but this was the first time that he had presented a 40-year award and went on to say that “It was a tremendous achievement. You represent all that is the best in SSAFA”

Currently Jill is a member of the Salisbury Division and for the past years has been responsible for preparing individually selected Christmas Hampers for clients who are in straightened circumstances.

“I began in SSAFA as the Commanding Officer’s wife and it will be 42 years later this month. I have always enjoyed preparing the hampers,” said Jill. Last year I prepared one for an elderly couple, but before it was presented, sadly the wife died, but her husband said that it contained all the things she liked and it brought back happy memories.”

She is also Chair of NADFAS (The National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies) where she helped with the successful SSAFA 100 hearts exhibition held last year and is also a volunteer at the Rifles Museum where she has been restoring the 7,000 medals in the museum’s collection.

After receiving a bouquet of flowers, Jill thanked everyone for their support and presented Sir Andrew with the minute book of Salisbury SSAFA from 1920 – 1953 which will join the SSAFA archives.