This campaign has now closed
To provide a respite break for ex serving and serving personnel of the armed forces and their families whose lives have been affected by their service in the Gulf 1990-91 , Iraq 2003-09, and the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. These men and women, veterans of desert conflicts, were all very proud of serving their Queen and Country but due to both physical and mental ill health many have had to leave the armed forces (both regular and reservists) and are often now unable to work at all. This break gives them the opportunity to spend quality time with their loved ones away from the illnesses and pressures that they are faced with on a day to day basis.
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Adapting to civilian life can be very difficult for Veterans, and problems can occur at any point throughout their adult life. Mental health issues are particularly prevalent as a result of the intense and prolonged exposure to horrific events that they are subjected too. It can be very hard for Veterans to speak about what they have seen, and this can in turn put pressure on relationships with family members. It can be very difficult for family members to understand why, for example, their partner or father is not the same person anymore, resulting in strained interaction between family members. This results in a loss of their chosen career and living with an illness or disability at a young age; there is also frequently a loss of financial security that means they can now be reliant upon charitable organisations, such as us, for help and support. It is now our turn to ensure these families get as much help and support as possible to get them through what will be an extremely difficult time of adjustment in their lives and help them achieve a better quality of life, in return for all they have sacrificed on our behalf. Our Goals are to provide members with a 5 day Respite break that will help them reduce the feeling of isolation. Improve the ability to cope and their self esteem. Help them to build up support networks with other members from the partners and children to the veteran themselves. Give the families a chance to be part of a community that understands and does not judge them. Most importantly it gives the families a chance to share in happy times making the family unit stronger. Comments below are from a member who attended the 2010 Respite Break for the first time; “This is our first respite break and I truly think if we had not come, we would not have been able to cope much longer. I now feel that we both have some amazing people backing us up as individuals and as a couple/family. I cannot thank the team enough as well as the other members who we now consider friends”…………..Brett Jansen Van Vuuren NGVFA member. Accommodation and meals for 250 Adults & 100 Children £66007.00 Counselling Sessions x 35 £ 1225.00 Room Hire and Entertainment £ 9068.50 Travel Costs £ 850.00 Total costs for Respite Break £77150.50