The Dowager Viscountess Rothermere has become the patron of Veterans Aid.
An established supporter of the 80-year-old charity for some time Lady Rothermere’s appointment was announced at the charity’s AGM. In January, through her own Lady R Foundation, she hosted a fund-raising event for VA that raised £100,000 and is a familiar figure at the charity’s East London hostel.
She said, “It was a great honour and a huge pleasure for me to accept the invitation to be Patron of Veterans Aid. This will be my life’s work. I am so happy to be a member of the Veterans Aid family.”
It was also announced that Paul Dyer, co-founder of Europe’s largest privately owned insurance entity the Towergate Partnership, had joined Veterans Aid as a Trustee.
He said “I have seen first hand the work that Veterans Aid carries out and can honestly say that of all the charities I know, they provide the clearest evidence of making beneficial change to people’s lives. It is easy with Veterans Aid to see the output, measurable and discrete, of all the benefactors’ donations and the tireless work of the committed staff. It is moving and a delight to see the fundamental, even extraordinary, change in ex-servicemen, once they have made contact with Veterans Aid after perhaps years of “casualty” status at the bottom of society. It is a privilege to be able to contribute as a Trustee.”
VA takes around 3,000 calls for help from ex-servicemen and women every year and an increasing number from serving personnel. It deals with a diverse range of problems for those in crisis and is known for the immediacy of its interventions and singular success in turning lives around.
CEO Dr Hugh Milroy said, “We are delighted to welcome Paul to our Board. He has long been a supporter of Veterans Aid. His experience and expertise will be much appreciated in these challenging economic times.
“Lady Rothermere has simply touched our hearts and brings something uniquely warm and personal to the charity. Already she has demonstrated that she intends to be so much more than a figurehead and we are thrilled to welcome her to the VA ‘family’.
