Veterans Aid staff were delighted when members of the East Wickham and Welling War Memorial Trust dropped in to its Victoria Centre.
They came bearing a cheque for £1,500, which represented proceeds of the retiring collection at the Trust’s 2015 Festival of Remembrance service. The visit, by trustees Nigel Betts, Warren Foot, Jeremy Watkins and Secretary Linda Clayton doubled as a fact-finding visit about the charity whose work with veterans in crisis had caught their imagination.
VA CEO Dr Hugh Milroy said, “We were truly impressed by the passion and commitment of the Trust members. In so comprehensively honouring the men of East Wickham and Welling who lost their lives in the Great War they have made them part of the community forever. And we are deeply touched by the fact that they chose Veterans Aid to be the beneficiary of their collection.”
The Festival service was held at St Michael’s Church, East Wickham and its order of Service prefaced by a short introduction to VA’s work. The full scale of the Trust’s memorialisation efforts is revealed in a fascinating and very personal ‘diary’ made possible by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant. (See: www.ewt.org.uk)
After their visit to VA Linda said, “If we had anticipated finding plush offices and a formidable ex-serviceman, we could not have been further from the truth. We squeezed into Hugh’s office, a room shared with other staff, boxes of merchandise – and an old worn boot previously owned by a veteran the charity had helped.
“Hugh exuded warmth, a down-to-earth passion for the work of the charity and a depth of understanding and knowledge about the problems faced by some veterans. He and his capable team operate on a practical ‘can-do’ basis to help those in need get back on their feet and break the cycles of dependency that hold them back.”
He added, “There are many resonances between VA and the Trust; both take a very personal and individual approach to their work, whether honouring past sacrifices or addressing current problems.”Veterans Aid has been helping ex-servicemen and women in crisis since 1932, a year when post war hardship led to many losing jobs and becoming homeless. Its founder was the wife of a former Royal Hospital Chelsea Adjutant and the two organisations still work closely together.
Today VA’s remit has extended to embrace much more than homelessness. It is a frontline, operational charity, intervening wherever possible to avert crisis, get individuals back on their feet and equip them with the tools to sustain rewarding, independent lives.
Picture (from left): Jeremy Watkins, Linda Clayton, Hugh Milroy, Nigel Betts, Warren Foot.
