Six-month aid wait for forces' families
More than 50 bereaved families of fallen soldiers nationwide are on the waiting list to get help from a charity which is based on the Shropshire border, it was revealed today.
There is currently such a great demand for the help offered by Forces Support, based in Leominster, that families must currently wait for up to six months until they receive assistance.
The charity, which provides teams of tradespeople to families who are in need of help with projects such as decorating, building work and gardening, is now calling for more donations in order to help cut its waiting list.
Charity founder Bill McCance said an influx of donations of just £1 a week could halve the waiting times for families needing the charity's support.
Forces Support has eight charity shops dedicated to selling donated goods and raising the money to fund as many family projects as possible. It also receives funding from other sources, such as the Government's Libor Fund which helps causes and charities supporting the armed forces community.
Mr McCance, who relocated from Portsmouth to Leominster in order to found the charity five years ago, said: "Funds are soon spent because it costs so much to fund and equip a professional team.
"Our current waiting time is six months and our families are always happy to wait and they are so appreciative of what we do.
"We currently have 52 families on our waiting list. Donations of £1 a week would have the cumulative effect of halving waiting times. Members of the public are always so generous and for that we are truly grateful.
"Fundraising is now so crucial for us. With additional funds we could put another team of builders out there and cut waiting times."
Mr McCance said the charity recognised the massive impact the loss of a child had on parents and it aimed to support those who might be seen by some national charities as "non-dependants" and so ineligible for support.
"In these cases we can be there for them," he said.
"Massive damage is caused by the loss of a child and people's environments are so important. We do the jobs that would have been done by the lost family member.
"We also help the parents and children cope with their grief and find ways of filling the thousands of recreational hours that are to come, whether that's with memorials and arbours for quiet and restful moments, play areas for children or patios and seating areas where family members can gather.
"We are lucky to have as our chairman Councillor Brigadier Peter Jones CBE.
"When he came to us he said he wished he had had this kind of support for his guys' families when he was serving in Northern Ireland and Bosnia."
