SSAFA marks 140 years of compassionate support for military community
One of the oldest tri-service military charities in the country – SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity – is celebrating having supported service personnel and their families for 140 years.
In February 1885, Major (later Colonel Sir) James Gildea wrote to The Times newspaper appealing for money and volunteers to look after the loved ones of Armed Forces personnel who had been killed or injured during their service.
Within a matter of months, the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association (SSFA) was created, bringing with it nursing and clothing branches, children's homes, welfare officers and much more.
A year after the creation of the Royal Air Force in 1918, the charity added airmen to its title and became known as SSAFA.
The military charity remains as trusted and valued now as it was in the past, as Lady Alex Walmsley, National Vice Chair for SSAFA, explained to BFBS Forces News, saying: "In some ways we've changed, but in other ways we're very much the same.
"Our mission is that we should never let anyone who has served for the Armed Forces, even just for one day, or the families of those who've served in the Armed Forces, [be without] our support.
"They should never have to battle alone."
Dean Knowles, who was a sergeant with 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, believes SSAFA saved his life, saying: "Well, I don't think I'll be here now, that's for certain, because obviously I was going through a difficult stage of my life at the time.
"And yeah, I tried ending my life at a difficult time.
"I kind of pulled myself around for the sake of my little girl and with SSAFA, and myself reaching out to SSAFA, and them being the way they were.
"They were compassionate, understanding and nothing was too much, so without them, I wouldn't be here."
Today, SSAFA has a network of volunteers and staff that spans much of the world.
In 2023 alone, SSAFA supported about 54,000 people, including serving and veteran military personnel and their families.
To mark its 140th anniversary, SSAFA paid tribute to everyone who has played a role in making the charity what it is today, saying: "None of this could have been and is being achieved without the commitment of SSAFA's volunteers then and now.
"None of this could have been achieved without the dedicated professional staff such as the SSAFA Sisters, formed in 1892 and still going strong from BATUS to Brunei in the guise of the Community Health Team.
"None of this could have been achieved without the support of fundraisers and donors.
"To them all, and on behalf of every person SSAFA has ever helped, thank you for ensuring that with our support no one need ever battle alone."
If you want to support SSAFA visit its website at ssafa.org.uk.
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