
We would like to hear from any veterans local to Banstead.
As the Vice Chairman of the Banstead and District Royal British Legion branch I, and a small team, are setting up a Veterans Hub for serving and ex-service personnel and their spouses. A vital part of the Legion’s work is the welfare of those who have been, or are currently, keeping us safe and for whatever reason are in need of help as they integrate into a civilian society. Many just need company but others have more complex needs be they financial, health related or retraining and we intend to be a conduit for their support.
There are three main categories of need: –
- The older and less active who need a social outlet and perhaps are needing help to make life safer and easier…they need a meeting place and friendship
- Active people who may want to be handy and make things, or may be retired either from the Services or their civilian role and enjoy maybe a meal and a drink.
- Serving members or more recently demobbed personnel who need housing and other more complex needs that we can help to signpost to agencies
We have sourced a meeting place and we have a small group of local Legion volunteers who can help to get the project started. In due course the groups themselves should become self-motivated and operational with just a light hand from the Legion.
Our catchment area is all the villages in Reigate & Banstead north of the M25, and we will start off in Banstead but other locations will no doubt emerge.
To make this a success, though, we now urgently need all interested veterans, their close friends, or anyone interested in helping to let us have names and contact details and ideas.
Please respond to Tim Snuggs : timsnuggs@icloud.com