SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors & Airmen Families Association)

An organisation founded in 1885 offering practical, financial and emotional support to all members of the armed forces and their families.

SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors & Airmen Families Association) is the oldest national tri-service military charity providing lifelong support to anyone who is currently serving or has ever served in the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force and their families with practical, financial and emotional support in times of need.

Nationally SSAFA provides temporary homes through their Norton Homes, in areas of Birmingham and Surrey, for the families of military personnel who are receiving medical treatment, or are at the St Vincent's care home.   However in West Devon and elsewhere across the UK, much of its one-to-one work with veterans and their families is carried out by an 'army' of volunteers and Caseworkers attached to 165 local branches that cover the UK and 14 other countries worldwide.

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association was founded by James Gildea in 1885 after English troops had been dispatched to Egypt.  With no welfare state at that time James Gildea wrote a letter to The Times appealing for money and volunteers to help the military families left at home. A fund was soon established and the first three branches of SSFA, including one in Plymouth, started giving out grants to the wives and children.   Later, during the Boer War £1.2 million was raised to help the families of those serving (this included partners as well as wives) and in 1892 SSAFA set up a branch of community nurses that would later become an integral part of British army communities worldwide.

At the outbreak of WWI, the National Relief Fund was set up to ensure that soldiers' families were not left destitute and £5 million was raised through charitable donations in the first 15 months of the war. SSFA proved invaluable in administering the National Relief Fund and distributing payments to families through a team of 50,000 voluntary workers. When the government extended Separation Allowance to include all families of soldiers involved in the war, SSFA once again helped to distribute payments. The Royal Air Force was established in 1918 and in 1919 the organisation became the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association. In WWII SSAFA continued to provide the essential welfare link between families and deployed troops and opened accommodation to house people left homeless by bombing, as well as opening clothing branches to give out millions of clothes and shoes donated from the United States.   SSAFA still provides health and social care services to the military community in British Forces Germany and the European Support Group.

Today there are 73,000 veterans in Devon and each year a further 1,000 ex-servicemen settle here. In West Devon SSAFA  has eight volunteer caseworkers, some of whom served in the forces themselves and every year they deal with about 35 people who have asked for help. The Caseworker is involved one-to-one with each client in order to understand the problems and work out the best solutions.

The need could be for something practical, such as repairing a leaking roof, purchasing a wheelchair or improving domestic access for a disabled person, but it can also involve more complex cases such as moving a partner away from domestic violence or ensuring a widow is financially secure following the death of a spouse.  Some cases are concluded quickly whereas others can last for years; sometimes just emotional support is required but often financial assistance is crucial.  The only qualification required is for the applicant to have served for a single day in the armed forces!

If financial help is needed the Caseworker will either advise the client on available state benefits, or apply on behalf of the client to one or more benevolent funds or charities, usually but not always, one of the many regimental and military charities including the Royal British Legion and fundraising by the Military Wives Choir Foundation. If necessary the Caseworker will arrange for quotes for any building work or specific equipment required and ensures the funding is well spent. SSAFA itself does not have funds to allocate in such cases but its close connections with other charities and funds mean it can match the right case with the right funding.

SSAFA provides an amazing support network for people who have served their country and put their lives at risk or left the service with life-changing mental and physical injuries. If you (or a member of your family) have served in the armed forces and are looking for experienced, friendly advice, help or support, then please contact SSAFA Devon on  01392 254611. (In Plymouth contact SSAFA Plymouth on 01752 553414 or email Plymouth@ssafa.org.uk)

Occasionally there is a need for more volunteers to work as caseworkers or help with administration and fundraising. You would not need to have a service background to be a volunteer as full training is supplied, so if you think you might have the necessary skills then please contact the above numbers.