HRH Prince Michael of Kent attends SSAFA's Annual Members’ Meeting

14 July 2022

The Annual Members’ Meeting of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity took place today (July 14) at the Victory Services Club in London. SSAFA’s President, His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent attended.

The Prince presented Sir James Gildea Awards to SSAFA volunteers and staff for their contributions over many years’ work for the charity’s beneficiaries, work that in the past 30 months or so has been against the backdrop of a global pandemic and ensuing lockdowns, another war in Europe, and a cost-of-living crisis that is bringing greater hardship.

He, celebrating 40 years as SSAFA’s President, was presented with a long-service award.

But the meeting was not just to acknowledge the outstanding work of so many individuals and teams; it was also an opportunity to present SSAFA’s Strategic Review, a review described as “well timed” in light of the new challenges faced, not least by those in the military community and charities supporting them.

The Strategic Review shows SSAFA as light, lean, and flexible enough to meet new and existing challenges and adapt to a changing world.

Work carried out by SSAFA in 2021 and detailed in the Annual Review show that the charity supported some 66,000 veterans, serving personnel, and their families and across the range of its services from direct and financial assistance from branches to nursing, health visitor, and midwifery services overseas, and from adoption to social work support at RAF bases around the UK.

Combined, the Strategic Review and the Annual Review 2021 present a positive message characterised by dedicated, professional, talented, and experienced staff – both voluntary and paid – bringing about real change for an increasingly young and diverse beneficiary group.