Military charities 'won't be ready for war' unless there is an increase in donations
Veterans' charities are suffering from a sharp shortfall in donations following the end of hostilities in Afghanistan and Iraq. They have to remind people that "the prospect of war is far from over," says Lt Gen Ed Davis.
Britain’s military charities will not be able to cope with the demands of another war unless they “reconnect" with members of the public, the new chairman of Blesma warned last night.
It follows research showing that 1.1 million fewer people are donating to veterans charities compared with 2017.
The British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association, Blesma, was formed 92 years ago and now cares for 2,700 veterans and serving military personnel, providing a wide range of services from state-of-the-art prosthetic limbs to financial support and even outdoor activities tailored for those who have lost limbs.
More than 500 British troops suffered at least one amputation in two decades of intense fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But the withdrawal from Helmand Province in 2021 marked the end of the casualty drumbeat, and proved disastrous for fundraising.
“Over last five years the British public has become increasingly disconnected in terms of being a conduit to help support serving and former members of the armed forces,” said Blesma chairman Lt Gen Ed Davis, who also served as Governor of Gibraltar until 2020.
A detailed survey carried out by YouGov last year revealed that the number of Britons donating to military charities dropped from 3.2 million in 2017 to 2.1 million in 2022.
For Blesma, which requires an operating budget of £5m a year, it has meant a 15 per cent shortfall in donations and the need to draw on vital reserve funds.
Others have fared worse, with 10 per cent of Britain’s 1,917 military charities which existed in 2017 forced to close their doors.
But with war with Russia becoming more likely, the funding shortfall has left charities struggling to cope.
"The very sad days of Afghanistan when so many suffered limb loss may seem far away,' said Lt Gen Davis
"But the prospect of being at war is far from over and as an organisation we need to be fit and ready for when that does happen."
In a drive for more legacy bequests, the charity has launched its first ever mainstream media television ad, featuring former Royal Marine Mark Ormrod MBE, the UK's first triple amputee to survive the Afghanistan conflict and Invictus Games winner.
His state-of-the-art prosthetic limbs cost £80,000 alone.
The ad shows the father-of-three, who lost his right arm above the elbow and both legs above the knee from a Taliban IED in 2007, feeding a baby using just one arm.
“If you are not in the military, if you haven’t lost a limb, it is very hard to connect with those who are supported by this money" he said last night.
“But every single parent can understand the struggle of changing nappies at the best of times, let alone with one hand.
“My eldest daughter was three so I changed her nappy with two hands. But I had to do it with one for my other two children.”
He said Blesma supported him from the moment he entered hospital in 2017, taking care of paperwork for his pension, arranging for his house to be specially adapted and providing him with hi-tech prosthetic limbs.
“There is a common misconception that most military veterans are either mad, bad or sad - but it is not true," he said.
“We want to contribute to society, we want to earn our way, we want to continue to live up to our military values and standards.
“Blesma provides the help we need, but we need the public’s support for that to happen.’
* To donate or watch Blesma's latest ad, please go to Blesma.org.*
