Operational Welfare Fund fails to capture the public's imagination

It was back in the autumn of 2008 that the then Labour government started to clamp down on the public's wish to send parcels of goodies out to the guys fighting on the frontline.

The reason given for discouraging this very personal and direct show of support for Britain's Armed Forces was that 'unsolicited' parcels "clog up the supply chain and delay parcels from service families getting to their loved ones".

That there is an inadequate transport infrastructure supporting UK forces abroad is due to years of neglect and under-funding by government; it is not the fault of the general public.

The MoD should also bear in mind that a very large percentage (reportedly as high as 20%) of the troops out in Afghanistan do not have family to send them welfare parcels and these guys also need and deserve the morale boost that receiving a parcel from back home can bring. Many small community groups across the country send parcels (not at Christmas but throughout the year) to welfare officers who distribute them to those individuals they know would benefit most.

However, back in 2008 the government was caught in a bit of a dilemma: on the one hand it wanted to engage the public in support for the Armed Forces (cf National Recognition Study) but on the other hand it needed to dampen down any support that was proving inconvenient. The MoD came up with a solution: the Operational Welfare Fund.

Instead of sending parcels of goodies, the public would be instructed to donate money to a central fund. The Fund would be administered jointly by the MoD and SSAFA and the money raised would be used by 'commanders' to purchase items for the troops - solar-powered chargers, boxing kit, wind-up radios, etc. In this way the MoD would be able to manage and direct the flow of public goodwill and perhaps also use some of the money raised to buy equipment it would otherwise have to fund itself.

That the Operational Welfare Fund has failed to capture the public's imagination is clear: only a small number of online donations have made (less than 200) and only a relatively small amount of money has been raised (£37,050) since the Fund's launch in November 2008.

Cameron's Government should recognise that giving the people the right to express their regard, support and thanks to Britain's Armed Forces by making up a parcel and sending it out to someone serving their country abroad is perfectly consistent with the idea of the 'Big Society'.

Perhaps the MoD should consider laying on a couple of extra helicopters.

MoD: Operational Welfare Fund
SSAFA: Operational Welfare Fund
Bmycharity: SSAFA Operational Welfare Fund

The Sun's Jobs For Heroes campaign launched

In response to reports that there may be as many as 50,000 ex-Forces personnel without jobs, the Sun newspaper has today launched its "Jobs for Heroes" campaign.

The aims of the campaign are to make UK companies more aware of the value to them of employing ex-servicemen and women, to get recruitment agencies, major UK companies and political leaders working together to deliver jobs for veterans and to bring all this wasted talent into worthwhile employment.

The focus for this recruitment drive is recruitment consultants, ForceSelect which specialises in getting jobs for Service leavers and ex-Service personnel.

Well done, yet again, to The Sun!

The Sun: These heroes risked their lives for us... give them a job, not the dole

British Forces Resettlement Services' Job Fair

The high level of UK unemployment, coupled with the threatened 20% reduction in Service numbers, means that managing the transition between military and civilian life may well be a hot issue within the Armed Forces over the next few years.

Recognising this, the British Forces Resettlement Services (BFRS) is going to be holding a "groundbreaking" job fair and networking event for ex-forces people tomorrow, 4th March, at the Garrison Sports Centre in Aldershot. The interactive event will help past, present and future service leavers – as well as their job-seeking family members – access a range of support organisations and find meaningful employment. For those not wishing to move directly into full-time employment the event will also have organisations presenting gap-year opportunities.

Not only will there be exhibits and free seminars and presentations running throughout the day; the organisers are also throwing in a free "curry supper".

Present at the fair will be BAE Systems, Boeing, The AA, BSM, Marstons, Security Networking Events, Airbus, EADS, Rushmoor Borough Council, Hampshire Police, Civvy Street and The British Legion.

The keynote speech will be provided by Colonel Richard Kemp CBE, former Royal Anglian, Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan, best-selling novelist, Cabinet adviser and Essex boy. The focus of his speech will be on the importance of a positive CV. He says: "The CV is probably the single most important element in finding a new job, and far too often highly competent service people will miss out on opportunities because their CV does not properly reflect all that they can bring to an employer......In my experience since leaving the Army, most former service people tend to very much undersell themselves. It is really important that they recognise the impressive range of skills and experience they have acquired in their military service so that they can market themselves to employers.”

The Job Fair at Aldershot will be the first of a series of similar events which ex-military recruitment specialists Gemini Forces will be hosting across the country over the coming year.

Gemini Forces: Challenges of ex-Services personnel returning to ‘civvy street’ thrown into the spotlight

Friends of the Forces acknowledged

The Royal British Legion has just launched a national awards scheme to recognise people and organisations who give exceptional support to the Armed Forces. The RBL asking the general public to send in nominations for their new Friends of the Armed Forces Awards and the winners will be chosen by category - individual, community group, young person, business.

Prince Harry, who kicked the scheme off, said: "These awards are an excellent idea, and I am very proud to be involved. I know how important support from home can be. For those serving in the British Armed Forces, the knowledge that others are thinking of them has a hugely positive effect that cannot be underestimated."

Nominations for the Awards close on 14th April. With so many individuals and groups now working to support our Armed Forces, the RBL is going to have a difficult time in deciding the winners.

The Royal British Legion: Prince Harry backs Friends of the Forces Awards

MoD: ArticleFriends of the Forces Awards launched

Wounded receive quality care but resources at their max

Last Wednesday the National Audit Office published its report on its investigation into "Treating injury and illness arising on military operations".

The main findings were:

• Clinical treatment and rehabilitation of seriously wounded personnel are highly effective and rated by the military.
• The high quality of care for the seriously injured is demonstrated by the number of "unexpected survivors".
• Medical capacity at military hospitals in the UK and in Afghan has been sufficient to deal with casualties to date but it is close to its limit.
• Reported rates of disease and minor injury in Afghanistan have almost doubled from 4% to 7%.
• Personnel at risk of developing mental health conditions on operations receive appropriate support but there are some weaknesses in follow-up procedures.

Some figures published in the report:

• Between October 2001 and October 2009, 522 UK military personnel were seriously injured on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Since 2006 personnel on operations have attended medical facilities 125,000 times for minor injury and illness, with a further 1,700 times for mental health conditions.
• Some 6,900 people have been evacuated back to the UK from Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003 for serious injuries and a range of other medical conditions.
• The estimated the cost of medical care provided as a result of military operations stood at £71 million in 2008-09.

That the treatment for the seriously wounded is both highly effective and of a high quality is, as the head of the NAO himself said, really good news. The worrying thing is that military hospitals seem now to be full.

The current surge strategy with its large-scale offensives against the Taliban (of which Operation Moshtarak is the first) is regretfully going to lead to higher casualties.

The situation is exacerbated by the intense pressure under which UK troops are fighting. Figures released by the MoD show that 46 per cent of all Army units are now in breach of the "harmony guidelines" (leave between combat tours) with the number of soldiers thought to have been affected by the breach estimated at 10,000. The problem of overstretch is further worsened by troop shortages and soldiers who are unfit for front line duty. Virtually every infantry regiment is under-strength by as much as 10 per cent or 70 soldiers and there are around 10,000, servicemen and women who cannot serve in combat zones for medical reasons.


The prognosis is not good for a medical service already running at capacity.

What is even more worrying is that this comes at a time when the Armed Forces budget is about to be hammered yet again. The government cannot depend on Help For Heroes to bail it out; perhaps the bankers could be encouraged to donate some of their bonuses.

NAO: Ministry of Defence: Treating injury and illness arising on military operations
InThe News: MoD feels strain of Afghan wounded
The Telegraph: Overstretch pushes British troops to the brink

Colchester to host first Personnel Recovery Centre

The first of the new Personnel Recovery Centres for injured servicemen and women is to be built at the Merville Barracks in Colchester, Essex. The building costs of the centre will be funded by Help for Heroes and it will be run jointly by The Royal British Legion and the Army.

The 20 residents and 40 day visitors that the centre will accommodate will benefit from a specialised treatment programme aimed at getting them fit enough to return to active service or alternatively preparing them for life outside the Armed Forces.

The centre will also have two family rooms, each catering for two adults and up to three children.

Marianne West, the Help for Heroes Volunteer County Co-ordinator for Essex, said: “I am overjoyed at hearing the announcement that the Personnel Recovery Centre project has at last been given the go-ahead. It will be just marvellous actually to see the proof of the public's generosity taking shape before our eyes in Colchester.”

The new centre will form part of the Army Recovery Capability (ARC) scheme announced last week. Key components of the ARC will be:

• A Personnel Recovery Branch providing assurance, direction and guidance from within the Army’s 3* Personnel and Support Command;
• Personnel Recovery Units one in each of the 10 regional Brigade areas as well as one in London and Germany, to provide support and guidance;
• Individual recovery plans tailored to meet a soldier’s specific recovery needs; and
• Purpose-built Personnel Recovery Centres (like the one in Colchester).
  

ARC marks a return to the time-honoured practice of treating injured Service personnel in a solely military environment and marks a U-turn in government policy which had up until now been looking to cut costs by merging military and civilian care within shared establishments and on mixed wards. As the MoD admits: "Experience shows that injured personnel find a military environment conducive to the best possible recovery, so we will provide purpose-built Personnel Recovery Centres around the UK".

Other Personnel Recovery Centres are likely to be based in Catterick, Tidworth/Bulford and Edinburgh. The facilities and support provided at the centres will also be open to personnel from the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.

Help For Heroes and the Royal British Legion have each put in £20million to the ARC scheme which will meet the bulk of the costs. Without their funding and their principles such a dedicated military care centre would not have got off the ground.

"There is a long history of charitable organisations contributing to the welfare of serving military personnel, veterans and their families; this relationship will be strengthened further through the introduction of the ARC, for the continued benefit of Armed Forces personnel."

A true ARC of the Covenant then.

EADT24: New centre to help injured soldiers
MoD: New plans to support sick and injured soldiers

Supporting the Armed Forces Community: consultation results

The MoD has today published findings from the public consultation it undertook last year into how best to provide consistent and enduring support to the Armed Forces Community (AFC) , i.e. serving personnel, their families and veterans.

The consultation sprang out of the 2008 Service Command Paper which looked at ways in which the state's commitments in the Nation's Covenant with the Armed Forces could be repaired following years of neglect (NB. the Armed Forces' commitment to the Covenant has never weakened).

To re-establish the Nation's responsibilities - and indirectly to draw a veil over its own earlier failings - the government is seeking to engage the wider civil community in its endeavours. Local councils, the Third Sector (see *** below), the NHS, the Police and charities & voluntary organisations are all to play a role in supporting the AFC in future.

In terms of the number of responses it elicited, the consultation was not a success; indeed you could say that the response was pretty shameful. Of the 468 local councils in the UK, responses were received from just 16; only 3 government departments responded; Service charities and federations sent in 5 replies; 25 responses were received from the AFC itself; and one came in from the business community (Right Management UK). Not only that but "around a quarter of respondents did not answer the consultation questionnaire but took the opportunity to comment on wider Service Personnel issues".

Anyway, the findings of the consultation were summarised as:-

• there was marginal support for an Armed Forces Charter (a kind of new Covenant);
• existing problems would be resolved through increased awareness of Service issues and improved communication between the AFC and service providers;
• the AFC should not be singled out as a minority/disadvantaged group;
• for some reason local councils thought it was difficult to identify the AFC;
• while the AFC thought legal obligations a good thing, local councils, as you would expect, didn't agree saying that additional resources would be needed to meet strict legal obligations;
• again unsurprisingly, councils came out strongly in favour of local autonomy when it came to providing support to the AFC.

Although the 'single point of contact' approach for dealing with AFC issues was not generally popular with respondents, the government has already started to roll out its Armed Forces Welfare Pathway project involving the establishment of local service access points or "gateways". Pilot Pathways have been launched in Kent, Hampshire and in Wigan.

The MoD has also recently set up a National Point of Contact super-helpline for directing calls from Service personnel to the appropriate service-specific helpline.

Other recent developments include the Affordable Houses Scheme, improvements in the way school places are allocated for Service children and, of course, the Army Recovery Capability Scheme.

My experience with public consultations is that, more often than not, they're an expensive waste of time, serving only to line the pockets of the consultants themselves and providing little in terms of tangible benefit. However, this particular consultation exercise does seem genuine .... despite the poor response. A coherent (I hesitate to say 'holistic') approach for dealing with AFC issues is clearly required and it's good to see some joined-up thinking for a change.

MoD: Summary of responses to consultation on supporting Armed Forces Community published

MoD: The Consultation Paper (The Nation’s Commitment to the
A rmed Forces Community: Consistent and Enduring Support - A Consultation Paper)

MoD: A Summary of Consultation Responses - February 2010

MoD: Service Personnel Command Paper. The Nation's Commitment: Cross-Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans.



*** The Third Sector as described on the government's "Communities" website: "The Government defines the third sector as non-governmental organisations that are value driven and which principally reinvest their surpluses to further social, environmental or cultural objectives. It includes voluntary and community organisations, charities, social enterprises, cooperatives and mutuals. We also include housing associations within the third sector. The Government recognises the value of the diversity of organisations in the sector providing voice for under represented groups, in campaigning for change, in creating strong, active and connected communities, in promoting enterprising solutions to social and environmental challenges and in transforming the design and delivery of public services." - ummm, well there you have it.

The parcel is the message

The government's National Recognition Study was designed to inspire the public to show their support for our Armed Forces and to rebuild the fractured links between the people and the military.

In that aim the project has been very successful - thousands turning out to welcome the guys home, approval ratings for the military shooting up, public awareness raised and shoebox collections taking place across the country.

One successful outcome from the scheme (certainly not envisaged by the originators of the Study) has been that increased public awareness has brought greater pressure on the government to correct its lamentable failings and to start providing the troops with better equipment, care, housing, etc.

However, in one way the scheme has also been the victim of its own success. The outflowing of public support for the guys on the frontline manifested in the sending out of loads of morale parcels led to bottlenecks in the Forces' postal service over the Christmas period.

The MoD is therefore now seeking to dampen down this sponaneous public enthusiasm by institutionalising the whole thing. Instead of an individual citizen collecting together a few goodies to send out to a soldier in Afghanistan so that they can show their personal support and appreciation, perhaps also sending along a personal message to boost morale, the MoD is asking that people should in future just send money to its Operational Welfare Fund so that they can manage and control the giving process.

However, sending a parcel is not really about "welfare"; supplying the guys with the right food, drink, washing kit, etc is the Army's job. Sending out a parcel is about "connection" - it's a direct, personal link between someone back home with someone on the frontline. It can also serve to bond a local regiment with its local community. I think the Beatles had some lyrics along the lines of "what I say is meaningless, but I say it just to reach you" or to paraphrase Marshall McLuhan "the parcel is the message". Prince Harry said: “I can tell you first hand what a difference [receiving a parcel] makes. It’s not just what’s inside that counts, it’s also the knowledge people are thinking of you back home.”

By de-personalising things, by effectively getting the public to outsource their commitment to the troops, the MoD is taking away the point of it all. They need to come up with a better solution.

MoD: Operational Welfare Fund

CivvyStreet: helping the transition

Stars of Dragons' Den and The Apprentice have voiced their support to a Royal British Legion website specialising in helping members of the Armed Forces readjust to life on Civvy Street. Dragons' Den Duncan Bannatyne and Lord Sugar's new right hand woman on the Apprentice, Karren Brady, have appeared in a new online video promoting resettlement website civvystreet.org.

Civvy Street is a website for serving and ex-Service personnel and their families. It helps

with a range of issues around resettlement including re-training, employment opportunities and also help around CV building and interview tips. As well as this practical help, in the twelve months from 01 October 2008 Civvy Street had awarded over £600,000 in training and employment grants.

Ken Parkinson, Civvy Street Manager said 'At a time where the resettlement of Service leavers is a key issue, it is great that high profile figures such as Duncan Bannatyne and Karren Brady have helped to highlight the services that Civvy Street can offer.'

Leigh Groombridge, who served with his TA regiment in Afghanistan, is just one of the many who has benefitted from Civvy Street's help. He commented 'After returning from Afghanistan I was having real problems finding work, I came across Civvy Street online and with their help I've retrained as an IT engineer and am doing a job love'.

CivvyStreet.org also works in close collaboration with Poppyscotland, providing resettlement support and training grants for ex-Servicemen and women throughout Scotland


Civvy Street

Armed Forces Community Welfare Pathway

The Armed Forces Community Welfare Pathway is the latest MoD initiative aimed at helping serving personnel, their families and veterans receive the advice and support they need to meet a whole range of health, social and economic issues and to ensure they have consistent, easy and direct access to the services to which they are entitled.

The Welfare Pathway provides a 'one-stop-shop' that brings together the local council, community organisations, Citizen Advice Bureaux, the NHS, Service charities, etc to deliver a complete advice service that is tailored to the needs of the military community - for example:

• advice about access to NHS services;
• information about help for veterans with mental health problems;
• help and advice about education, skills and careers;
• help with affordable and social housing;
• help with transport, including Blue Badges and concessionary transport;
• advice about, and access to, affordable childcare.

The Pathway is a step along the road outlined by Bod Ainsworth in his proposal to introduce an Armed Forces Community Charter. This charter would set out the individual and specific rights of the Armed Forces community and the duty placed on public bodies to fulfil them. It has been suggested that such a charter could actually be made legally binding on public bodies. It al;so fits in with the commitments set out in the Service Personnel Command Paper, 'The Nation's Commitment: Cross-Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans'.

The project was launched last November in Kent and has since been rolled out in Hampshire and today in Wigan and it is expected that local "Gateways" will soon be opening up across the country. A dedicated national helpline (08000 22 33 66) has also been set up.

Despite the tired nulabour jargon which surrounds it, this scheme certainly has the promise of being able to cut through otherwise daunting bureaucracy and bring speedy solutions to the people who really deserve it.

NDS: Armed Forces Community Welfare Pathway for Wigan launches today
MoD: Armed Forces Welfare Pathway launched in Hampshire

MoD: Armed Forces Welfare Pathway launched

Tickets For Troops: from front line to front row

A new Armed Forces charity was launched last November. Its purpose is to provide free tickets for sporting and entertainment venues to serving members of the Armed Forces and those discharged for injury since 2001.

So far, nearly 40,000 serving and former members of the Armed Services have registered and over 50,000 free tickets have been donated.

Joanna Lumley, one star in the cahrity's galaxy of patrons, said: "This is a win-win arrangement: brave and deserving troops get to see shows, concerts, fights and games: and we in the world of entertainment and sport get a chance to show them that we think they are the best of the best, and support them with all our hearts. Fabulous!!"

Absolutely!

Tickets For Troops

Battle Back: Exploiting Adventurous Training to speed recovery

Battle Back is a UK military initiative which uses Adventurous Training (AT) and sport in the aftercare of seriously injured Service personnel in order to aid their rehabilitation and return to an active life post rehab.and not a charity.
Launched on 28th July 2008, it is now well into its second year. The project is based on the work of Sir Ludwig Guttmann who back in 1948 created the first Stoke Mandeville Games specifically for WW II veterans with spinal cord injuries. Guttmann believed that sport was a vital part of therapy, a radical concept at the time, that helped individuals develop physical strength and self-respect.

The name "Battle Back" was coined in 2007 by a team looking at whether the British military could once more utilise existing sport programmes as an aid to rehabilitating the wounded. By incorporating the principles of Adventurous Training - the use of challenging outdoor activities and controlled exposure to risk to improve courage, leadership, fitness and team spirit - Battle Back provides a holistic view of rehabilitation through re-integration into a wider range of militarily relevant activities. It is a programme for all injured Service personnel, irrespective of how they were wounded, and complements the work done by the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Headley Court, Regional Rehab Units (RRUs) and Units with Platoon- or Company-level Recovery Teams.

Battle Back is important:

• because it provides seriously injured Servicemen the same Adventurous Training and Sport opportunities as their able-bodied colleagues;
• because the Armed Forces have a moral obligation to ensure that the aftercare of their wounded is of the highest possible standard; and
• because when first coming to terms with a life-changing injury, it is essential to understand what can be achieved - by focussing on ability rather than disability - which is vitally important for physical, psychological and social rehabilitation.

MoD: Battle Back

MoD wins its compensation appeal: 'a victory for bureaucracy over bravery'

Defence Secretary Ainsworth and senior civil servants at the MoD must be feeling very smug and self-satisfied today because the Court of Appeal has upheld their claim against the awards made by the compensation tribunal to two injured British soldiers.

When the tribunal increased the basic compensation awarded to Corporal Anthony Duncan and Royal Marine Matthew McWilliams because both men had suffered further health problems as a result of their injuries, the MoD took the case to the High Court to get the increases revoked.

The High Court upheld the awards amde to the soldeirs but the MoD was determined to claw back the compensation and doggedly pursued the case to the Court of Appeal.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ministers and MPs continue to rip off the taxpayers by cynically manipulating their expenses (particularly those relating to 'second homes').

Civil servants at the MoD continue to get massive annual bonuses or receive hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation for a strained thumb or 'work-related stress'.

Meanwhile two soldiers may have to repay compensation awarded to them for their injuries.

The Mail: Injured servicemen face having compensation slashed after MoD wins court battle
BBC: Smith apology for expenses claims

STUBS: Armed Forces and WASPS supporters

STUBS is a new charity which aims to 'demonstrate care and respect for UK armed services in an innovative way'. It was set up by Jan and Craig Vassie and secured charitable status in April of this year.

The concept behind STUBS originated from a simple idea: that at most events there are more often than not a number of unsold tickets and that these could be put to a charitable use.......and who better to benefit than Britain's service personnel, especially those injured in the service of their country.

For some time the Vassies had been taking patients from Headley Court as their guests to home matches of the London WASPS rugby club and this lead to the club agreeing to pilot their scheme by donating 20 unsold tickets per home game to STUBS to distribute.

The principle aims of the organisation are:

to provide hospitality facilities at sports and cultural events for injured
servicemen and women undergoing rehabilitation at DMRC Headley Court or UHB
Selly Oak; and

to acquire and distribute event tickets to armed services
veterans who would not otherwise be able to attend the event

If you would like to support the scheme, visit the STUBS website at www.stubs.org.uk

Well done, Jan and Craig! Well done WASPS!

Afghan Heroes: A mother's legacy

The mothers of eight soldiers who were all killed in Afghanistan over two grim days in July, have joined forces to launch a new charity, Afghan Heroes, aimed at supporting UK servicemen and women serving in Afghanistan and at helping bereaved familes.

The launch statement says:

"The mother of a soldier who died in an explosion in Afghanistan in July has today (September 15, 2009) set up a charity to provide support for those directly involved in the conflict.

"In the same 24 hours in July eight servicemen in Afghanistan were lost and their mothers today joined together to launch Afghan Heroes.

"The charity aims to help the families of those who have fallen as well as providing support for those on the front line and returning service personnel who have witnessed the horrific losses of their fellow brothers.

"With more than 210 deaths in Afghanistan among British troops Denise Harris from Somerset, whose son Corporal Lee Scott lost his life while taking part in Operation Panther's Claw in Helmand Province, believes the time has come for a specialist charity to support soldiers and their families affected by events in Afghanistan."

The new organisation intends:

• to support all our service personnel operating in theatre in Afghanistan;
• to provide the much needed “home comfort“ supplies and gifts to those service personnel;
• to promote and embrace a new initiative “Thank A Soldier” to ensure our soldiers know they are not alone;
• to set up support and regional network groups for the families of the fallen and to organise charity events so they can come together.

In its support for returning soldiers, Afghan Heroes will

• provide emotional, psychological help through support groups for all returning soldiers and families of the fallen;
• help with vocational training, including: IT equipment, computers and printers;
• assist other minor charities in their work; and
• create a lasting legacy in support of our operations in Afghanistan.
  

Good luck to all involved in such a good cause!

Afghan Heroes: a chairty supporting British forces in Afghanistan
The Sun: Soldiers' mums launch charity

Army Benevolent Fund to get new identity

The Army Benevolent Fund has appointed the design agency Dragon Rouge to give it a new image.

According to Joe Hale of Dragon Rouge, the Army's crest of a lion and two crossed swords "can be hard for some potential audiences and donors to understand".

Emma Harvey, director of fundraising and communications for the ABF, said: "The current identity is not very strong and it needs a refresh – it needs to appeal more to a younger audience and also to potential donors".

Ms Harvey goes on: "The new identity will have to have impact and it will need to be obvious what the charity is about."

The new branding will be applied to all the ABF’s regional and national communications and fundraising campaigns and is expected to be launched in spring next year.

Personally I can't think of anything clearer than the Army's logo and the words "Army Benevolent Fund - Supporting the Best" - but then what do I know? I suppose a "younger audience" can't read so well these days and spending £100,000 or so on rebranding may well attract new "potential" donors.

Design Week: Dragon Rouge to rebrand Army Benevolent Fund
Dragon Rouge: The Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) has chosen Dragon Rouge to create a new identity.

BFPO to cease operations in Europe

By this time next year the government intends to bring an end to BFPO operations in Europe.

The British Forces Post Office provides mail and Post Office counter services to Forces personnel and their families whilst serving outside Great Britain.

Using the BFPO means that, when members of Britain's Armed Forces are serving abroad, they have a postal address which is recognised as being part of their own country - even when they are serving on the frontline. This may sound a small thing but in its way it is a link with the people, something that helps bind together those serving abroad with everybody else back home. It is also a long-established tradition going back over two hundred years to the time of the Peninsular War.

The cutting of this service will be a significant blow to families with loved ones based in Germany, Belgium, Gibraltar and elsewhere on mainland Europe as they will no longer have the same postal rates that apply within the UK and they will no longer have the confidence that their mail will be handled in a safe and secure manner.

A petition has been set up on the No.10 website to get the government to reconsider its decision to remove British Forces Post Offices from mainland Europe. If you would like to add your name to this petition visit:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SaveBFPO/

After 12 months, discussions start on free bus passes for injured soldiers

The MoD's Service Personnel Command Paper published in July 2008 expressed a commitment to introduce concessionary bus travel for injured service personnel in Great Britain - it was already operating in N. Ireland).

Having given the highly complex bus pass proposal some serious thought, bureaucrats at the MoD estimated that it would take them nearly three years to get the scheme off the ground. That's right: three years. Unbelievable, isn't it?

12 months down the line and something has started to happen, at least in Wales; the Welsh Assembly has agreed to begin negotiations with the MoD to extend their bus pass scheme to include injured soldiers.

That's the good news. The bad news is that the bureaucrats at the MoD have now to determine what type of injury will qualify for a free bus pass. These deliberations will take them at least another 18 months and therefore the Welsh Assembly is saying: "We hope to be in a position to complete this change by April 2011".

The Royal British Legion, almost with an audible sigh, say ".. it is not anything new as it was a commitment under the command paper issued in July, 2008"

This is the item in the Command Paper:
"2.29 Concessionary Bus Travel. By 1 April 2011, the statutory bus concession in England will be extended to include Service personnel and veterans under the age of 60, who were seriously injured in service and who are resident in England. A similar scheme already exists in Northern Ireland. Scottish Ministers will consider by April 2009 how to take forward this proposal as part of the three year review currently being carried out on the Scotland-wide Free Bus Scheme for Older and Disabled People. The Welsh Assembly Government is also undertaking a review of its concessionary fares scheme and this will include plans to extend eligibility to concessionary bus travel for Service personnel and veterans who were seriously injured in service."

Whenever I go on a bus these days, the only people travelling seem to be ones with bus passes. It surely can't be that difficult to extend this to include all those covered by the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

BBC: Free bus passes for forces plan
MoD: Service Personnel Command Paper 2008

government to clawback another benefit from injured troops

Having already started legal proceedings to clawback compensation paid to wounded soldiers, Defence minister Bob Ainsworth and his labour mates are now looking to further reduce the allowances paid to wounded troops by as much as £3,000 per year.

At the moment soldiers unable to work due to battlefield injuries receive an allowance of £57 per week and 12,000 veterans are currently in receipt of this additional benefit. In a bid to get back some of the £millions the MoD has squandered on its failed defence contracts, the government is planning to axe this injury benefit as from next April.

Coming at a time when British troops are suffering their highest rate of battle injuries in Afghanistan, this latest kick in the teeth from the government has been called "morally indefensible" by the chairman of the National Gulf War Veterans and Families Association.

An MoD spokesperson glibly said: "Anyone who is unhappy with the outcome of a claim has the right to appeal." And you know where that will get you; even if you win, the government will bring a lawsuit against you.

The Mail: Wounded soldiers up to £3,000 worse off a year after secret benefits axe

Royal Anglian veteran, Darren Jarrad, faces new battle .... with UK Immigration

Darren Jarrad who fought for his country with the Royal Anglian Regiment in Iraq and Afghanistan has been refused permission by the UK Border Agency to bring his Canadian wife and daughter to live in England.

In return for Darren putting his life on the line in the service of his country, he gets a kick in the teeth when he tries to establish a family life in that same country.


“I didn't mind going out to Afghanistan and Iraq, I didn't complain. I just don't understand why they won't let us have the visa. I'm not a rich bloke, but we have enough money, and I have never claimed anything off the government.”

So this is what it's like in nuLabour's Britain: a British war veteran is banned from bringing his wife and child to live in his native land while thousands of foreign "dependents", economic migrants and "asylum seekers" from God knows where and who have absolutely no commitment to the UK pour into the country every month with the blessing of the UK Border Agency.

Darren's local MP has petitioned the Home Secretary Alan Johnson to rectify this insulting, bureaucratic injustice. Unfortunately the government's commitment to members of the Armed Forces,past and present. is a joke; it would be better to get Joanna Lumley to fight his corner.

EDP24: Visa row splits Royal Anglian Afghan hero's family
Calgary Herald: Calgary wife of British soldier denied U.K. visa