#SSAFA

[tomhardymyking]

𝗧𝗼𝗺 and his heart of gold, once more 💛

He has helped former Wren 𝗙𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗟𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗴 with her fundraising target, since, she will tackle a 100-km trek in the Highlands of Hoa Binh for armed forces charity 𝙎𝙎𝘼𝙁𝘼 in October 💓

𝗧𝗼𝗺 spent time with 𝙍𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙡 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨 of 45 Commando in Arbroath in 2015, and this time he couldn't go but helped with a special premiere of 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 which brought out 𝙍𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙡 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 riders in support of 𝗙𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮's fund 👏🏻

⠀⠀⠀⠀

𝗧𝗼𝗺 y su corazón de oro, una vez más 💛

Ha ayudado a la miembro de los servicios femeninos de la 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙖́𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖 𝗙𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗟𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗴 con su objetivo de recaudación de fondos, ya que, en octubre, emprenderá una caminata de 100 kilómetros en las tierras altas de Hoa Binh para la organización benéfica de las fuerzas armadas 𝙎𝙎𝘼𝙁𝘼 💓

𝗧𝗼𝗺 pasó tiempo con la 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡 del Comando 45 en Arbroath en 2015, y esta vez no pudo ir pero ayudó con una proyección especial de 𝑩𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒍𝒂 𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒔𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒐 que atrajo a motociclistas de la 𝘼𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙚 𝙡𝙖 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡 en apoyo al fondo de 𝗙𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮 👏🏻

⠀⠀

[soraeia]

places this in the Royal AU's "global hits"

My youtube started auto-playing Kallen/Tae's singing vc and...welp... Now I must bring up the internationally famous bard who is also known for being a brooding, lonely man on his famous hill.

Viscount Kallen Yeun was especially famous 15+ years ago, but has grown quiet in the recent decade. He has written and composed more songs, but he hasn't officially released anything new for the public since the death of his wife. In fact, barely anyone's seen his face in the last decade. His music has continued to stay among the public's favourites, however. Even after all this time. Imperial princess Lydia is heavily infatuated with him.

[coochiequeens]

Another sex offender TIM released into the public.........and given a laptop

Daughter's fury as paedophile father who abused and shared images of her with other sick perverts online before changing gender in prison is quietly released (...and given a laptop by an offender's charity)

By ROSS SLATER

PUBLISHED: 10:47 EDT, 16 July 2023 | UPDATED: 10:49 EDT, 16 July 2023

A paedophile who changed gender while in prison for sexually abusing her own daughter as a child and sending explicit photos of her to perverts online has been quietly released back into the community - and given a laptop by a do-gooding charity.

Claire Fox, 61, who was previously known as Clive Bundy, a father of six, served just seven years of a 15-year jail sentence, before being settled into a tiny market town on the Welsh borders.

Fox, who wears a black wig and floral dresses told neighbours, who knew nothing of her sordid past, that she was an electrician from Bangor as they helped her get settled into her new surroundings and helped her furnish her flat.

Fox's release from prison has appalled her daughter Ceri-Lee Galvin, who bravely waived her right to anonymity, having been abused by her father for nine years from the age of eight.

Revealing her astonishment, Ceri-Lee, 24, told MailOnline: 'My father is not a woman and I refuse to recognise him as such. He changed his gender in prison to make his life there easier.

But now he is out and already up to his usual tricks – conning everyone he meets. 

'The fact he is now dressed as a woman makes him more dangerous as young girls are his thing and he has never shown any remorse.

'My father is a highly manipulative man who has attended no sexual offender rehabilitation programmes, shown no remorse for what he has done and openly admits finding children attractive.

'There have been no meetings I'm aware of to tell local schools about his presence, he has no tag and no curfew. He has just been put into this community and given all he could wish for – food, furniture, a home and a laptop.'

Ceri-Lee, now a student paramedic, added: 'I am in no way transphobic and I feel incredibly sorry for people who genuinely need to transition. They face stigma and worse because of cases like this.

'But it should just not be an option for those convicted of sexual offences against children to suddenly say that they want to be a woman.

'This only arose at the end of 2021 when he was due to be moved to an open prison but then had a fight with a fellow prisoner that was serious enough to stop the move.

'That is when he went for the gender change – when he was almost 60, having been a macho man all his life and having had eight children and having never mentioned gender dysphoria before.

'Now he is being indulged by everyone. The prison service gave him make-up and women's clothes and now a charity for the armed forces have provided him with so much stuff when all he did was a short stint in the Territorial Army in his 20s.

He has conned them. He was never a soldier. The whole thing is outrageous.'

Fox arrived in a sheltered accommodation block for older people in a tiny town at the start of June.

She was given new furniture, a television, printer, washing machine, crockery and a laptop by the armed forces charity SSAFA because she had once been in the Territorial Army.

Fox's neighbour Lyn Robinson, 74, said: 'My first impression was that this person was very cheerful and amenable, assuring all us older people that they'd be no trouble. They seemed very confident despite the outlandish appearance.

'I thought she might find it difficult fitting in so I really took care of her. I gave her clothes and even lent her £70, which is a lot for a pensioner.

'I took her to the food bank at the Baptist Church where she was given loads of stuff including vouchers for a butcher in town and for a coffee shop.

'And we went to a concert at St Edward's Church where I introduced her to the vicar. I had no idea of her history.

Fox's decision to change gender before being released from prison, provoked a storm of protest when it was revealed in April.

She chose the same name as gender-critical campaigner and media pundit Claire Fox, now sitting in the House of Lords as Baroness Fox of Buckley.

Campaign groups fear that by changing their gender, sex offenders can effectively whitewash their past and could avoid detection under the Home Office's Disclosure and Barring Service, set up to protect children from abusers.

DBS uses official paperwork such as a passport or driving licence to carry out their checks, both of which can prove difficult to check after choosing a new name and gender.

The potential loophole is provided by the Gender Recognition Act (2004), which created a 'sensitive applications route' for trans people.

Ceri-Lee added: 'The victim liaison officer told me the only reason I was being informed about the name and gender change was because he had given permission for this to happen.

'It's allowing him to say that Clive Bundy never existed, that my abuse never existed and it is clearly a danger to children which is why I decided to speak out.' 

Fox is not the first sex offender to change gender while in prison

A rapist who carried out sexual attacks as a man named Adam Graham in 2016 and 2019 sparked a heated debate earlier this year after changing gender and name to Isla Bryson while waiting to stand trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

And in 2018, convicted rapist 'Karen White' – branded a 'highly manipulative' predator by a judge – was moved to HMP New Hall in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, and sexually assaulted two women inmates.

Fox was arrested after police discovered images of Ceri-Lee online that the abuser had been trading with other pedophiles.

She was later charged with and admitted to several counts of sexual activity with Ceri-Lee, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and distributing indecent images.

In 2016 she was sentenced to 15 years in prison. It was not until the end of 2021 that she told the authorities she wanted to change gender.

A SSAFA spokesperson, said: 'SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity provides practical, emotional and financial assistance to serving personnel, reservists, veterans and their families in their time of need. Due to data protection laws and our need to protect our beneficiaries' and employees' confidentiality, we cannot comment on individuals or their circumstances.'

A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: 'In line with national guidelines we can neither confirm nor deny the information you have provided.

'However, we can confirm that Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements are utilised throughout the entire force area to manage appropriate offenders living in the community and they will be closely supervised by local officers to minimise any risk.'

[bbcghostsupdates]

Themthere update!

New posts on Instagram from Ben plus a selfie

This morning we got some pictures of ben on a little adventure he is going on to raise some money for SSAFA who provide help and support to Military veterans which we know is close to Ben’s heart

If you would like to donate go to the link below 🤍

[onelungmcclung]

Nicola Trahan, who has died aged 97, joined the French resistance as a schoolgirl and was awarded the Croix de Guerre avec Palme for her bravery during “numerous dangerous missions”, in particular a series of battles between her Maquis and the notorious 2nd SS Panzerdivision Das Reich. After the second world war she settled in the UK, where she served with the Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen’s Families Association (SSAFA) for 50 years.

Aged 16, while still at school in Valençay, Indre, in central France, she joined the Forces Françaises de l’Intérieur (FFI), the resistance organisation run by the Gaullist French authorities in London and known as the Armée Secrète.

According to her French military file, Trahan became a member of the North Indre Maquis, led by Francis Perdriset, a former French army officer who took charge of FFI resistance operations in that area in July 1943. Her main role was as a courier delivering messages twice daily between the various resistance teams.

She also worked as part of the Maquis’ medical team and, amid a heavy German military presence, used her trips cycling between the teams to collect intelligence. A note in a file has one resistance fighter telling another that Trahan would sometimes be late because she liked to sit by the road watching the Germans while eating her lunch. “Don’t worry,” he said. “It provides us with valuable information.”

In an interview with a French newspaper following the liberation of France, Trahan said that once when she was stopped by the Germans she screwed up her FFI identity pass into a ball and swallowed it to avoid arrest. She also recalled taking part in firefights and on one occasion shooting and wounding two German soldiers: “I really liked ambushes; when we put together a team and went off in full truckloads. I had a revolver and a machine gun.”

In July 1944, Perdriset and his Maquis began working closely with a British Special Operations Executive (SOE) officer Pearl Witherington (later Cornioley), who was also based in North Indre.

Witherington had set up the SOE’s Wrestler circuit in May that year. But on 11 June, five days after the D-day landings, she and the small number of resistance fighters she had assembled were attacked by a much larger German force. They fought them off but Witherington decided she needed an experienced military officer to help her to reorganise her forces.

“Finally, on 25 July [1944], after I had asked repeatedly for a military commander, to my great relief one arrived,” she recalled in her memoirs. “He was an army captain called Francis Perdriset.”

From that point on, the North Indre Maquis was closely integrated with the SOE Wrestler team. Trahan recalled meeting Witherington once, at a parachute drop of weapons and other supplies, where resistance members would have been called upon to remove the supplies to a safe location.

Shortly after Perdriset took over as Witherington’s military commander, elements of the German 2nd SS Panzerdivision Das Reich arrived in the region on their way north to Normandy, having been ordered to destroy the resistance along the way.

They had previously massacred an entire village at Oradour-sur-Glane and, from mid-August, launched a series of attacks against resistance groups in the Indre area, most notably in Valençay itself, where Perdriset was present.

“The Germans did a lot of damage in Valençay,” Witherington recalled. “I wasn’t there but Francis was. He was told to stand against a wall, he really thought he had had it. The Germans set fire to things, shot, killed. It wasn’t as bad as Oradour-sur-Glane but it wasn’t a pretty sight.”

In his recommendation for the award of the Croix de Guerre, Perdriset said Trahan, then only 17, “notably distinguished herself at Valençay from 20 to 30 August 1944 by bringing her commander valuable information which she gathered at the heart of enemy operations”.

Born Nicole in Berck-sur-Mer, in the Pas de Calais, she was the daughter of André Trahan, who worked in the insurance industry, and Jeanne (nee Bourzes), a professor of English.

Nicole initially boarded at the Collège Cévenol at Le Chambon-sur-Lignon in south-central France. She later recalled that her parents took her to the UK when the Germans occupied northern France in 1940, but by 1942 she was at Cours Guynemer, a private school in Valençay.

After the war, Trahan went to the Sorbonne to study philosophy but, having decided that it was not for her, she trained as a nurse at the Ecole d’Infirmières des Associations Diaconesses in Paris, and at Brighton General hospital, in East Sussex, qualifying in 1953. She subsequently worked as a health visitor in Cheshire. She anglicised her name from Nicole to Nicola and was naturalised British in 1957.

The following year she joined SSAFA, first as a member of its nursing service, then as a health visitor working with service families in Germany, Belgium and Hong Kong. Trahan served with the association for 30 years and after retirement continued to work for them as a volunteer for a further 20 years.

Trahan settled in Orcheston, Wiltshire, where she was also a volunteer at Salisbury Cathedral, and enjoyed swimming and walking her dog.

In 2005, she was invited to the unveiling by Queen Elizabeth II of the monument in Whitehall to The Women of World War II, followed by a lunch for female veterans at Buckingham Palace. In 2008 she was appointed MBE.

Nicola (Nicole) Marie Pauline Trahan, resistance fighter and nurse, born 21 December 1926; died 18 January 2024

[master-john-uk]

This "thrilling" charity fundraising event will take place over Salisbury Plain on 3rd May 2024.

I have been asked if I would like to take part in this event. My answer was, "YES, but... I have no desire or inclination to jump out of a perfectly serviceable aircraft, but I could pilot it. That way if any of the participants have a last minute panic attack, they have to decide which is the scariest/safest option... parachuting 13,000ft safely harnessed to an experienced member of the Red Devils, or trusting me to be able to land the plane safely!"

[darkhorse-javert]

Hazy Summer, Shadowed Days

@flashfictionfridayofficial- Canon complient musings from and about Andrew Foyle post war

Hastings June 1945

He slipped down the stairs in the bright summer moonlight, keeping his feet light. Shouldn't wake Dad, not his problem I'm awake at a god-forsaken hour of the night. He pulls his dressinggown closer around himself, skin cold with nightchill even in the warm air of the summer, pads across the hall and curls into the armchair by the unlit fire, seeking comfort in the familiarity of the moment. But the empty grate stared back at him, hollow, bare a shadow of it's normal self. Bit like me really. 26 years old, and what have I got from it? Five long years flying with the RAF, but my eyes are crocked, so that's out for a job, could never stand being a groundbased teacher even if they'd have me, Debden proved that.

Two-thirds of an Oxford degree in English, could finish that I suppose, I've got the papers, but I'm not the merry young lad who bounced into the Quads all those years ago, can't see myself going back there, with all those who are young enough, even if they had enough places.

Scraps and litter of poetry, all based around war-life and flying, but they wouldn't sell- we all want, need to move on from that, I don't want to be one of those Glory Days Warhorses that were a joke in stories. Who would buy them anyway? I'm sure there were better poets than my efforts who were already published

Might have to go in for an office job- as I said to Sam - but when I flinch at a phone, that's going to be a joke and a half for anyone I'm working with. And what skills have I got to offer them that another man hasn't.

Sam- the thought was a slap across the face, his glib words to her of weeks ago 'I'm going to work on you Sam', ah Hell, what have I got to offer her, such a smart, diligent girl as she is, she's found a job of sorts, as well as helping Dad. If I made a go of it, kept up the freindship and we got to something more I'd be sponging off her even as a friend. And if we got married, what a dream that was, would her empoyer even keep her on? Unlikely.

No, Sam was doing far better off on her own, not with me dragging her down like a stone, an old figure in a young skin, scraping around for what I can get, nothing to get it with. Can't even fish well.

"Andrew?"

He turns, Dad a soft dark figure in the doorway,

"Sorry, couldn't sleep."

"Mmm", Dad walks softly across, and perches on the end of the sofa nearest to Andrew.

"I wrote a poem, just before I came home," Andrew, looking back at the empty fireplace finds the words flying desperatly from his tongue 'talked about 'Summer Haze', and 'Uncertain Days' -sounds truely poetic doesn't it? But it's more like trying to walk on thick sand, everything slipping about under your feet, tumbling you down... What have I got Dad? Except wrecked eyes, and a degree I can't face finishing. And yet I'm not really really broken, thank God, and I'm grateful for that."

He hears his father swallow, then finds an arm slipping around his shoulders, tugging him insistantly close.

"Give yourself a chance, Andrew, ask around. Give yourself time."

But- but his mind says what if my time has gone, and I'm a lost fossil before I'm even thirty. And I don't want to have to go cap-in-hand to the RAF or SSAFA, leaning on others, Grammer School and Scholarship boy that I was. I should be able to do something.

[usafphantom2]

Buccaneer XX885 on left at RAF Scampton. Taken at the one and only show from there in the new millennium in 2017. Both on the right are from some badly worn slide copies, from a SSAFA Air Show day from the early 1990s....🎇👍🇬🇧🇺🇦😇

@Johnbilcliffe via X

[warrenwoodhouse]

Dedications

A list of dedications for those who have helped me, my websites and my friends.

Last Updated: 3rd December 2023

Ray Larabie (Typodermic Font Foundry)

FontMeme

SUP In Media

The Sixth-Sense Newspapers Germany

BFBS British Forces Broadcasting Service

BFBS Radio 1 Germany

SSAFA Soldiers, Sailors & Airmens Families Association (for those wonderful holidays we went on in 2003 and 2004, fond memories)

FANE Friends Action North East CIC

SSVC Service Sounds & Vision Corporation.

BDFL British Defence Film Library

Reader’s Digest

Reader’s Digest UK

North East Tweets

Woodhouse Family (my family)

Fisher Family (my family)

Lilian (2001 to 2005 fonts dedicated to Lilian. Dedicated by Ænigmate Productions who listed her name in the original 2005 font license agreement)

Charlie Birks (Daft Games)

Sold Out Sales & Marketing

MapGenie (your interactive maps have helped me out multiple times)

IGN (always helpful and insightful)

PowerPyx (for your guides have helped me through many tough trophies)

WikiTeam (thanks for archiving my wiki)

[penpaperpencil]

Daniel McNeil

This is Daniel McNeil (@danwalksuk on Instagram) who is walking the entire UK coastline to raise money for SSAFA, the armed forces charity. He started two and a half years ago and is due to finish in November. So far he has raised almost £30 000. Please give him a follow and make a donation – all the links can be found in his Instagram profile. He’s an actual genuinely inspirational person. The…

[toughgirlchallenges]

Gina Atkinson: From Royal Signals Engineer to Inspirational Fundraiser and Adventurer

Join us on this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast as we delve into the extraordinary life of Gina Atkinson, a former Royal Signals engineer with a remarkable story of service and resilience. Gina's military career took her to 30 Signal Regiment, where she visited  35 countries during her first five years of service.

Following a deeply personal loss in 2019, Gina embarked on a mission to honour her brother's memory by running/cycling 100 miles a week for a year, raising £10,000 for a local cancer charity and establishing an Art Foundation in his name. Her dedication did not stop there; Gina continued to raise over £250,000 for veterans' charities through a series of inspiring challenges and initiatives, including ultra races and solo adventures across Scotland.

In this episode, Gina shares her journey of coping with grief through fitness and adventure, her experiences in the military, and her passion for supporting veterans and cancer patients alike. From riding across Death Valley to planning her next challenge of running from London to France in 2024, Gina's story is one of resilience, determination, and the power of adventure to heal and inspire.

Learn how Gina's adventures and fundraising efforts have made a significant impact, and gain insights into her motivations, challenges, and the importance of mental health advocacy in her journey. 

Join us as we explore Gina Atkinson's inspiring story on the Tough Girl Podcast.

***

Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women.

 By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can make a difference in increasing the representation of female role models in the media, particularly in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Your contribution helps empower and inspire others. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast to be a part of this important movement. 

Thank you for your invaluable support!

***

Show notes

Who is Gina

Being based on the Wirral, UK

Being a fundraiser for Veterans Charities 

Combining her fundraising with crazy adventures 

Growing up on the Wirral and why it’s an amazing location

Her early years spending time hillwalking in Wales

Joining the army cadets at 13

Deciding to join the army as an electronica engineer in the Royal Signals 

Being posted to 30 Signal Regiment nicknamed the ‘globe trotters’ 

Visiting 35 countries in the first 5 years 

Military memories from peace keeping missions

Volunteering at the orphanage in Bosnia 

Making the decision to leave the army

Wanting to make a second career and experience something different 

Starting fundraising for veterans charities almost straight away

Riding across Death Valley in America 

Getting involved in ultra races and going to see places at the same time

The Wall Ultra Race across Hadrian’s Wall 

Dealing with covid and losing her brother at age 52 to stage 4 bowl cancer

Coming up with the idea of doing 100 miles a week for 52 weeks - 5,200 miles in memory of her brother. 

Dealing with grief and needing a distraction

Coping with stress and trauma by fitness and adventure in nature

Not knowing the next steps

Getting post adventures blues at the end of the challenge/adventure

Backdoor adventures

Raising funds for ssafa the Armed Forces charity  

Meeting veterans and sharing stories and memories

Being an advocate for mental health 

Raising over £250K for veterans charities and winning multiple awards

300 mile solo adventure across Scotland (3 bucket list challenges in one) walking the West highland Way, paddling the Great Glen, and then walking back on the Great Glen Way to Fort William

Getting injured and needing to return in 2024 

Not taking a dip in lock ness

The planning behind the challenge ideas

Taking it from the idea to getting to the start line 

Sticking to the plan 

Using YouTube as a resource 

Testing your kit and making sure your food is nutritious and tastes good

Keeping positive while on adventures 

Motivation and discipline why you need both

Quote by D.H. Lawrence, “I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.” 

Going back to your WHY

Motivation from the GI Jane movie and Legally Blonde

Being inspired by the Queen 

The next challenge in 2024 - running to France from London!

Maintaining fitness levels while not on adventures 

How to connect with Gina on social media 

Final words of advice for other women who want to do more adventures 

Starting on your own fitness journey 

Why consistency is the key for training for endurance events

Try and enjoy it and remember why you are doing it

  Social Media

Instagram: @goliveit.onelife

Facebook: @GinaGinelli

Military Memories is an anthology of poems from the force’s community.Profits go to Military Charities SSAFA & Sporting Force.

Instagram @Militarymemories2021

Twitter @militarymemos

Book: Military Memories: Military Memories is a anthology of poems written by the forces community. The poems illustrate the journey taken by those who join ... families’ lives and also the trauma we face.

  Check out this episode!

[thekitmanuk]

Dundee FC 2023-24 Third Kit Unveiled

Football kit news from Scotland as the new Macron Dundee FC 2023-24 third kit has been officially unveiled. Dundee FC 2023-24 Third Kit The new 2023-24 Dundee FC third kit has been designed in partnership with SSAFA (The Armed Forces Charity) and sees a black jersey featuring The Black Watch tartan stripe running down the left side of the front. Dundee FC 2023-24 Third Jersey Both the Macron…

[alexgracephoto]

A short film that I shot and edited for 'SSAFA, The Armed Forces Charity'

[rosiewitchescottage]

I hear that this is a fairly new veterans charity.

Today's veterans often come home to find that, although they're willing  to die for their country, they're not sure how to live for it.

Sebastian Junger,  Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging

Dedicated to my fellow veterans on this Armed Forces Week.

May you win the war you brought home with you.

Dum spiro spero (while I breathe, I hope).

[master-john-uk]

Source: SSAFA

[collectablecorner]

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity supports the entire Armed Forces family. It is a UK non-profit charity that provides long life support to individuals who are currently serving or have served within the British Armed Forces and their families. This impressive organization has been operating since 1885 and was founded by Major James Gildea. Today SSAFA boasts of 5,000 volunteers to help upwards of   people every year and is the UK's oldest national tri-service Armed Forces charity.



Why is Collectable Corner choosing to support SSAFA?

The problem people tend to have when it comes to charitable donations and fundraising is not knowing how much of the donors funds are reaching the desired goal of helping someone in need. While we can't speak for the charities themselves, we (myself and my family) can talk about our experience with SSAFA and why we're confident that the money gets exactly to where it is needed the most.

Brian Cook, a loving husband, father, great grandfather and (my) grandad served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and was a part of the Christmas Island nuclear bomb tests in the 1950's which exposed the soldiers to radiation due to being closer to the bombs than any human should ever be. Today only a handful of the Suicide Squad Veterans are still alive. Almost (if not all) of the soldiers involved died through multiple various cancers and ill health such as chronic arthritis and heart, lung, liver diseases. There is evidence to support the fact that these health conditions can be directly related to what the soldiers were made to do. But not only has it affected the veterans themselves but their families genetics has also caused numerous health problems generation after generation. This will carry on for generations to come also and the UK is one of the only countries involved to not accept these findings and therefore the support for these individuals and families has been lacking. Unfortunately Brian (grandad) was no different, neither is his family.

In January 2018, Brian fell ill and was taken to hospital where within three days of admittance was diagnosed with late stage liver and lung cancer, all that could be done was to make him as comfortable as possible. Over the course of the following four days we prepared for his return home. We gave a sofa away from our living room to make room for the hospital bed due to Brian losing the use of his legs, and we turned a downstairs room into a bathroom. Monday came round and Brian had been in hospital for 7 days, Monday to Monday. He arrived home via hospital transport and we got him settled in as best we could. Grandad always wanted to die at home my grandmother tells me. At 3am tuesday morning, after being home for around 10 hours Brian, my grandmother's husband, my mother's father, and my very special grandad passed away. It was, as anyone who has lost a loved one will know, devastating. It all happened so fast.

During the period between Brian's death and his funeral service SSAFA actually offered us money towards the cost, which we refused based on the fact we would rather it had gone to someone more in need than ourselves, but it stuck with us in our hearts and minds. What we learned is that SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, gets the money and help to the people who really need it. We didn't expect nor ask for it either. At this period in Collectable Corner  didn't exist, what existed was another hobby project that never worked out but a vow was made by myself to use the public platform to raise donations for SSAFA in loving memory of RAF Veteran Brian Cook. Now after a couple of years of hard work, dedication and grind, Collectable Corner, i am elated to tell you is working out and in a position to honour that vow and may he rest in peace.

Who does SSAFA help? And how does it help?

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity helps people in a variety of ways.

For currently serving personnel and their families provides:

Support in service communities

SSAFA has a network of volunteers on Army, RAF, and Naval bases in the UK and around the world who give local support.

Housing

Housing for wounded, injured, and sick serving personnel and their famiies SSAFA Norton House, Stanford Hall provide home-from-home accommodation for families visiting wounded, injured, sick service or ex-service personnel and outpatients. SSAFA also provides day-to-day management of Fisher House UK at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham (QEHB).

Mentoring for service leavers

SSAFA's mentoring scheme was set up in 2011 and supports those transitioning out of the Forces. SSAFA's volunteer mentors provide support to wounded, injured, and sick leavers through a long-term 'one-to-one' relationship that underpins the transition from the military. SSAFA Mentoring is nationally accredited by the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation.

Adoption for military families

SSAFA is a registered adoption agency dedicated to helping military families through the adoption process.

Additional need and disabilities support

SSAFA provide specialised support to military families with additional needs including their Forces Additional Needs and Disability Forum (FANDF).

Short breaks for children and young people with additional needs from Forces families

SSAFA coordinates holidays and events that focus on offering new experiences and activities for children and young people from services families.

Stepping Stone Homes for women and their children with a service connection

Stepping Stone Homes provides short-term supported accommodation, help, and advice during difficult times. Female spouses and partners of serving or ex-service personnal, along with their dependent children are all eligible to stay there.

Professional health care

SSAFA's professional health care staff provide patient-focussed care to military families worldwide.

Personal support and social work for the RAF

Working alongside the RAF, but outside the Chain of Command, SSAFA staff provide support for RAF personnel and their families worldwide. 

Independent Service Custody Visiting

SSAFA provides independent oversight of Army Service Custody facilities.

 

Support available to veterans and their families:

Housing advice

SSAFA offers practical housing advice and support to Armed Forces veterans and their dependents including guidance around housing benefits and accessing social housing.

Debt advice

SSAFA can help veterans to get advice on dealing with debt when they have fallen behind on their bills or repayments to credit cards and are struggling to get by or at risk of losing their home.

Mobility assistance

SSAFA volunteers seek financial assistance for veterans to help maintain mobility and independence at home. Trained volunteers can help veterans get mobility equipment such as Electronically Powered Vehicles (EPV) or mobility scooters, stair lifts, riser and recliner chairs.

Providing household goods

SSAFA can provide veterans with essential household items, including white and brown goods.

Support for homeless veterans

SSAFA has a range of specialist services to support veterans who are homeless or facing homelessness.

Joining Forces

SSAFA's partnership with Age UK to improve the lives of veterans born before 1950.

Gurkha services

Providing tailored support for Gurkhas and their families who live in the UK.

Glasgow's Helping Heroes

Glasgow's Helping Heroes' is an award-winning service provided by SSAFA in partnership with Glasgow City Council for current and former members of the Armed Forces and their dependants or carers who live, work, or wish to relocate there. It's dedicated team work with national and local governments and third sector providers to resolve clients employment, housing, health, financial and/or social isolation issues.

Forces helpline

SSAFA also offers Forcesline, which is a free and confidential telephone helpline, web chat, and email service that provides support for both current and ex-service men and women from the Armed Forces and their families.

As you can see, SSAFA goes above and beyond to help as many serving and veteran pesonnel and their families as possible who have sacrificed for our country and ensures the aid gets to exactly the places it is needed most. To do this requires a lot of time and money, as you can imagine.

Covid-19 and the SSAFA Emergency Response Fund

Covid-19 has had an impact on everyone regardless of if you are ill. It looks like it will remain a part of our lives for a long time to come, heck, it may be a permanent part of modern life. At SSAFA, calls and requests for help from the vulnerable people, such as the elderly, low income households, and those with serious underlying health conditions. In response to this SSAFA has an Emergency Response Fund. The strain on the organization is obviously high as more people need help with mental health, housing, and financial issues. SSAFA provides this support for the British Armed Forces, serving and veteran personnel, and their families but to do this SSAFA needs to ensure it's staff and volunteers are kept as safe as possible with PPE. Combine the huge rise in help requests and the need to protect SSAFA staff, volunteers and those they help results in a large increase in costs which is why donations are so important and critical to its operations to continue the vital work SSAFA does.

What is Collectable Corner doing to help?

We have purchased over a thousand Royal Air Force (RAF)  Dog Tags, Ball Chain Necklaces, Rubber Silencers and Packaging, which we are asking for a donation of £10 per set plus £2.29 for postage of which 100% of the £10 is being donated to SSAFA. Collectable Corner is paying any processing fees and extra postage fees that may incur. Essentially, the Dog Tags are a token of gratitude from us to you for making your donation and helping us to support and help as many people as we can together. In total we have 504 sets of Dog Tags available so that equates to £5,040 in funds to generate. We also have the ability to purchase more should we require them.

How are the donations being made and how often?

We will deposit the donations directly to SSAFA at the end of each month via bank transfer to an account SAFFA has provided to us*.

How will donors know that donations were made?

We understand how important it is to be absolutely transparent with charity work to ensure that everyone knows when and how much is being donated and it is just as important to us at Collectable Corner as to donors and customers. Collectable Corner will of course be publishing monthly updates on our blog and in our newsletter which we urge you to sign up for, along with publishing the donation receipts and sales records minus people's private data such as names and addresses etc. We also have a backend application running on our website which allows visitors to CollectableCorner.shop to view in real time exactly how many sets of dog tags have been claimed.

Share your experiences of SSAFA

Collectable Corner is welcoming you to share your stories with visitors to our website. On each product page is a review section where anyone can make use of by letting others know your story. Maybe it is about how SSAFA has helped you or someone close to you, or maybe you have fundraised and donated in the past. Maybe you are someone who works or have worked with and volunteered for SSAFA who wants to share with us all, or maybe you simply want to say hello.

Thank you... 

We, at Collectable Corner, want to thank SSAFA for the amazing work the staff and volunteers have, will and do do. The impact this charity has had on so many lives truly is something to be marvelled at.

Thank you to anyone who helps us to make some real world differences by ordering a set of RAF dog tags with the knowledge that you are donating to a truly awesome cause.

Thank you to all of the past, present and future British Armed Forces personnel who have sacrificed, and do sacrifice everything for our great nation. You make us proud each and every day.

Finally, thank you Brian Cook, my Grandmother's Husband, my Mothers Father, a Great Grandfather, and my Grandad for being such an inspiration, thank you for being the best and only Father i ever had. May you sleep easy and Rest in Peace.

*Please note that the information in this article has been vetted by and in part supplied by SSAFA prior to being released to the public and is accurate at the time of this publication. Collectable Corner has the permission of SSAFA of the logo to be used and they are the copyright owner. SSAFA is a non-profit charity registered in England and Wales (210760), Scotland (SCO38056) and the Republic of Ireland (20202001). Collectable Corner is not in a partnership with nor affiliated by SSAFA, however we are in contact. Anyone who wishes to confirm that SSAFA is aware of Collectable Corner's campaign to raise donations and the methods being used can do so by emailing commercial@ssafa.org.uk or GaryDavidson-Guild@ssafa.org.uk