Legion D’Honneur UK donates to SSAFA

21 October 2020

The UK chapter of the Légion D’Honneur, which is the highest honour that can be bestowed by France, has recognised the invaluable work that SSAFA does to support the Armed Forces community with a donation of £10,000.

The generous donation, which was received by SSAFA in October 2020, will be used to support veterans – especially those who have received the esteemed Légion D’Honneur award themselves – with a range of practical, emotional and financial support. As always, the aim of the military charity is to relieve suffering and to restore dignity and independence to all who have played a part in serving our country.

The Légion D’Honneur has a great personal connection to SSAFA CEO, Sir Andrew Gregory: “As I heard news of this generous donation, I thought proudly of my grandfather and my mother who were both recipients of this very prestigious French honour.  When my mother’s award came through in late 2015, she was too frail to travel so I presented it to her with due ceremony, including some vintage French champagne; while that was the last time that I saw her, my final memory is one of pride and happiness.

“I would like to thank the Légion D’Honneur UK chapter for understanding the importance of the work that we carry out here at SSAFA. Last year alone, we supported 85,000 members of the Armed Forces community in need; this generosity will allow us to reach even more people, including recipients of the Légion D’Honneur. In a year of change and uncertainty, SSAFA is more grateful than ever for support such as this.”

Sir Simon Robertson, Chairman of the UK chapter of the Légion D’Honneur, said: “We are very supportive of the vital work carried out by SSAFA. We are, therefore, delighted to be able to demonstrate our commitment to help veterans with this donation.”