Photo: Alan Mak MP with (L_R) William Stevens OBE and Barney Creswell
Havant MP Alan Mak praised the local Havant branch of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) for its excellent work in supporting local veterans – and the veterans who man the office.
The national charity concerns itself with the welfare of service personnel past and present, and champion for better provision for affected families, and its Havant branch is based at St. Faith’s Church Hall.
Mr Mak joined the Havant branch of the UK’s oldest national military charity to see how SSAFA were committing to supporting troops now and for the rest of their lives. The Havant MP met veterans including Colonel William Stevens OBE and Barney Creswell who run the office.
Creswell, from Emsworth, is a former police inspector who spent his youth fighting the Nazis in Europe, and was awarded the Legion d’honneur at a ceremony at Southsea’s D-Day Museum in March 2016 from the French government.
Stevens and Creswell deal with queries from veterans ranging from help with housing and financial issues to advice on the transition from military to civilian life.
The meeting at St Faith’s Church House not only covered the work done by the SSAFA, but also encompassed the plight of other service charities in general. Nearly five million people across Britain have served or remain on duty in the Armed Forces. Every year, SSAFA supports 55,000 of these through a range of welfare support, health services and help with accommodation.
Following the meeting, Alan Mak said: “I was delighted to meet Havant SSAFA to discuss the vital role that service charities play locally. Barney and William are inspirational veterans, still serving the community long after they retired. Their hard work and service is an example to us all.”
Mak added, “During my year’s work experience with the Royal Navy I’ve heard first hand the value that our servicemen and veteran place on the work of SSAFA. We’re fortunate in the Havant area to have such dedicated volunteers helping our servicemen and women”.
Havant SSAFA’s Divisional Secretary, Colonel William Stevens OBE, commented: “We were pleased to welcome Alan to our local HQ in Havant. It is great to see our local MP showing genuine support for our armed personnel past and present.”
Colonel Stevens added: “There is still a great deal of work to do to fully recognise the challenges faced by our soldiers, sailors, airmen and their families when they return home. SSAFA continues to work hard locally, and we’re delighted to have our local MP Alan Mak supporting us.”
Since his election in May 2015, Havant MP Alan Mak has been a committed supporter of British service personnel and veterans’ welfare. Earlier this year he helped to launch the Homes for Heroes Foundation, which seeks to provide affordable housing and support networks for UK troops returning from foreign service.
His affiliation with the UK Armed Forces was further cemented by his selection for the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (AFPS). Through the AFPS, Mak saw through a year-long ‘work experience’ with the Royal Navy, which included an Arctic Training Exercise with the Royal Marines in Norway, and a crash-course in ship orientation aboard HMS Monmouth during its recent transfer from Cardiff to Plymouth.
Mak is a long-standing supporter of The British Legion and founded their thriving Young Professionals’ branch