SSAFA's top honour for Fife volunteer George

12 July 2024

George Givens, a veteran volunteer for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity has been awarded the Sir James Gildea Global Award.

SSAFA’s Sir James Gildea Awards were created to recognise the staff – voluntary and paid – for their exceptional contributions and commitment to SSAFA’s activities and values. The awards were presented at SSAFA’s Annual Members’ Meeting in London at the Victory Services Club on July 11 by His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent, SSAFA’s President.

Liverpool-born George (73) had a long career in the British Army, beginning as a 15-year-old cadet in the Liverpool Scottish Army Cadet Force.

He enlisted as a junior soldier, going on to spend the next two years at the Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion, Oswestry, before being posted to the Queen’s Own Highlanders, which at the time was stationed in Edinburgh.

George takes up the story, saying: “Being a Scouser in the Queen’s Own Highlanders was not unusual at the time, given the close links that the Battalion had with the Liverpool Scottish [a Territorial Battalion of the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders].

“I rose through the ranks, eventually being selected for promotion to Warrant Officer First Class, and after a spell as Garrison Sergeant Major at Edinburgh Castle, I took on the role Regimental Sergeant Major of the Queen’s Own Highlanders, the first Scouser ever to do so.”

In 1990 he was selected for a Late Entry Commission and became the Battalion’s Motor Transport Officer (MTO). During Operation Granby – the campaign to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi forces – he commanded the A1 Echelon of the Armoured Delivery Group in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

On return to Germany, he assumed the role of Unit Families Officer, looking after the welfare of the battalion’s families, a task in which he acquired the ability to handle sensitive welfare matters in a sympathetic and empathetic manner, skills vital to his later role as a SSAFA Caseworker.

George’s final job in the Army was as the Officer Commanding Headquarter Company of the Royal Scots. He retired in 1996 as a Major, having seen service during the previous 30 years throughout the UK, Sharjah, Germany, Hong Kong, Belize, Kenya, and the USA – including five operational tours of Northern Ireland and one operational tour in the Gulf.

After retiring from the Army, he found employment within the NHS as a Practice Manager at a busy general practice in Fife, eventually taking early retirement in 2013 after 17 years in the post.

Not wanting to sit idle and allow his brain to stagnate and wishing to give something back to the service community, George decided to volunteer for SSAFA. He subsequently became a volunteer caseworker and five years later, in 2018, was asked to take over as the Branch Chair of SSAFA Fife, one of the busiest branches in Scotland, and home to one of the largest army bases in Scotland.

George is now again a caseworker for SSAFA and has more than 200 cases – families n individuals helped – under his belt.

He said: “I still do regular casework, so I know those that we help, either regulars, veterans, or their families, remain eternally grateful for all the hard work that our SSAFA volunteers carry out on their behalf, and I am so honoured to be part of this great organisation that’s a significant cog in providing support and advice to the Armed Forces community.”

George wished to express his thanks for being nominated for a SSAFA Gildea Global Award, and commented: “I am proud, if a little dumbfounded, to receive this award. SSAFA remains a significant cog in providing support and advice to the armed forces community. I still do regular casework, so I know those who we help, either regulars, veterans, or their families, remain eternally grateful for all the hard work that our SSAFA volunteers carry out on their behalf. I am proud and honoured to be part of this great organisation.”

All at SSAFA send their sincere congratulations to George and his fellow SSAFA volunteers in Scotland.