Armed Forces charity SSAFA launches new loneliness initiative in Wiltshire
SSAFA have recognised service people and their families need support
This week is Loneliness Awareness Week in Wiltshire (12th-18th June) and SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity has launched a new project tackling loneliness and isolation among service people.
The Community Connection Champions (CCC) project is recruiting volunteers across the world to help people feel less alone wherever they are posted.
Suzette Leach, SSAFA’s Community Connection Project Officer, said: “The Armed Forces are quite unique in the amount they ask of employees and their families. With regular moves, sometimes abroad; new schools for children; remote bases, far from friends and family, it is no surprise that we have reports of young soldiers not leaving their rooms all weekend and spouses feeling isolated.”
CCC’s help people make friends and feel part of their community through activities and events they may not otherwise have attended.
A Vital Role
We spoke to Charlotte Eadie, the serving community development manager at SSAFA, who said the CCC’s play a vital role in supporting service personnel:
“Starting a new job in a different part of the country, away from immediate friends and family and that can bring about feelings of loneliness and isolation. People are working and therefore struggling to connect with their local community.
“Our SSAFA Community Connection Champions are hoping to provide a vital role in overcoming those challenges by creating welcoming and engaging community groups that bring people together.”
Success has been had in Salisbury already, with CCC’s putting on a walk and talk group on Salisbury Plain, as well as comedy and bowling nights, to bring people together.
How you can make a difference
Anyone who wants to become a Community Connection Champion can do so, with training and support for projects provided by SSAFA.
“We would really welcome anybody who would like to become a Community Connection Champion from the civilian population,” Charlotte said.
She added: “We've got really great training. It's not too arduous and we also give people the tools to be able to, to run the events. We give you a useful handbook of Connexions and contacts and that kind of thing.”
Suzette added: “It’s not a difficult or time-consuming volunteer role, and you are able to be really creative and do what you love.
"As long as your activities benefit the serving community, with an eye to alleviating loneliness and isolation, we have a little funding for your project – you just need to sign up to be a Community Connection Champion and get on with organising your events!”
If you would like to become a Community Connection Champion, click here.