SSAFA West Yorkshire

19/05/2026

Pontefract Castle will provide the backdrop for a special civic and ceremonial event, marking the 80th Anniversary of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infrantry (KOYLI) being awarded the Freedom of the City of Wakefield.

Sounding Retreat is a traditional British military ceremony carried out by buglers, particularly within Light Infantry and Rifle Regiments. Historically, it signalled the end of the day’s fighting or the closing of garrison gates. Unlike Beating Retreat, which uses drums, Sounding Retreat is performed on bugles and has evolved into a striking display of military music and pageantry.

The event recognises the longstanding military heritage between Wakefield and The KOYLI. The Freedom of the City passed from The KOYLI when it was disbanded during the restructuring of the British Army in 1968 to become one of the three Light Infantry Battalions. Following further restructuring of the British Army in 2007, the Freedom of the City was passed to The Rifles when The Light Infantry became one of the forming regiments of The Rifles, a new national infantry regiment.

The event is open to all, and tickets may be booked through https://museumsandcastles.wakefield.gov.uk/whats-on/koyli-sounding-retreat/

17/05/2026

This is real advice given by a Welfare Officer, working within RAF's PS&SWS (Personal Support and Social Work Service), which operates globally, wherever there’s a RAF base.

SSAFA supports the RAF by providing a team of dedicated social workers, and in 2024 supported a total of 3,735 people of which 86.47% were from the RAF, and the remainder being supported under the Tri-Service Agreement.

Why the Chinook? Could it be that SSAFA CEO, Air Marshall Steve Shell CB OBE trained and served as a Chinook pilot, later becoming commanding officer of the UK Chinook Force.

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity's RAF PS&SWS Welfare Officer, Rebekah Marshall, writes on understanding the challenges of overseas deployment, away from friends and family.

Although it might not make the news, there is never a time that UK Armed Forces personnel, including those of the Royal Air Force, are not deployed somewhere in the world. It could be Ascension, the Middle East, or closer to home in Europe. And although it's what they're trained to do and may have already experienced, it still takes some mental and physical strength to adapt, and quickly to it, or in a word, resilience.

Resilience – we all have it in us, but doesn’t it feel like we are able to cope better at certain times than others? Then you throw in deployment for serving personnel and military families and it can all feel a bit like we are just about surviving. However, during this period of change, resilience is developed and you can manage to adapt to the changes, create healthy coping strategies and identify opportunities.

So, what are some of the common challenges serving personnel and military families face when deployment is on the cards?

- Isolation and loneliness
- Stress (physical and mental)
- Logistical issues e.g. household, childcare, pet care
- Communication with loved ones
- Civilian friends not understanding

What are the most effective steps to take before deployment to prepare for the separation, emotions and practicalities alongside that?

Prepare yourself – be practical and proactive and start to take steps towards any potential challenges. For example:

- Speak to your line manager/employer to discuss flexible working arrangements for a fixed period if needed.
- Reach out to family and friends in anticipation of needing some more support.
- Contacting a child’s school to make them aware that additional care might be needed e.g. Wrap Around Care or clubs.
- Communicate to your partner/spouse about your needs as a couple. Be honest with each other and talk about how you can feel connected if contact is not as frequent as you like.

Talk it out – keep communication with family, friends and peers open about what is going on for you and share if you are finding it hard to cope. This is a common feeling and no matter what you are experiencing, you are not a burden! Avoiding how you are feeling can lead to burn out in the future.

Time – give yourself time and space to adjust and develop a new routine. From there, create small, achievable goals or focus points to work towards. This could be an event you are looking forward to attending or even making it through to 5pm on Friday! Before you know it, you will be crossing off those days and weeks towards being reunited.

Listen – if you are supporting someone who is coping with the challenges of deployment, listen to them, acknowledge how they are feeling but do not necessarily try and offer them solutions. Often, just being there and listening is enough. Be aware of signs they might not be coping; they might cancel meet ups, reduce communication and give you an "I’m fine" response.

Access support – whether that be your family, friends or colleagues, do not forget about the wider Armed Forces community that is available. If you are unsure where to even start looking for support, try the following:

- SSAFA Welfare Officer either on-station or via the Digital Welfare Hub
- SSAFA Forcesline
- Your nearest station’s Community Centre and speak to the Community Development Officer (CDO)
- RAF HIVEs

Then finally…Welcome home!

But why doesn’t it always feel as good as you thought it would?

Just remember that coming home from deployment is not always smooth sailing! It will be another readjustment period for everyone. Patience will be needed whilst new routines are developed and connections are re-established.

Again, talk and listen to each other. Keep those lines of communications open and if you REALLY don’t like where the plates are now kept in the cupboard, they can always be moved back!

08/05/2026

MARKING THE 81st ANNIVERSARY OF VE-DAY

Today is the 81st anniversary of . We honour all those servicemen and women who served in , and the sacrifices made. To those who gave so much, we thank you.

29/04/2026

The month of the military child is drawing to a close, and in this short video military children share in their own words what they enjoy about forces life, and what they sometimes find difficult.

27/04/2026

THE ILKLEY AFBVC CELEBRATED ITS 4th BIRTHDAY IN STYLE, with 70 veterans, friends and supporters marking the event last Saturday at The Lister Arms (Wetherspoons).

Joining in the celebrations were Deputy Lieutenant Suzanne Watson DL, along with Ilkley Mayor Cllr Jane Gibson and Robbie Moore, local MP for Keighley and Ilkley.

Our branch is a strong supporter of this Breakfast Club, and no fewer than five branch members are pictured. A special mention goes to Dave Calder (ex-ACC and a SSAFA supporter), who baked and brought in four fruit cakes, three of which were iced to represent the three services by Nicola Cromwell. Needless to say, they didn’t last long!

As Mark Sugrue (a self-confessed former RAF “Snowdrop”) mentioned in his Post Breakfast Report:

“SSAFA turned up fully prepared - looked like they were setting up for the Great Yorkshire Show. Jason (SSAFA CEV) provided the helium “4” balloons. It’s a well-known fact the infantry get good discounts on balloons … and crayons. Nicola wouldn’t let him take them home, and it’s believed he’s still sulking”, and

“Adding a bit of colour (and no small amount of interest), we welcomed a squad from the Haworth Home Guard, in full original uniform - always a great talking point”.

Well done to all involved.

22/04/2026

MARKING THE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF BATTLE OF THE RIVER IMJIN (22 - 25 April 1951).

This battle marked a pivotal moment in the Korean War (1950 – 1953), also referred to as the “Forgotten War”. For three days, the 29th British Independent Infantry Brigade Group thwarted the Chinese Spring Offensive to recapture Seoul in what was said to be the bloodiest engagement endured by the British Army since WW2.

In support of the infantry was 170 Battery 45 Regiment Royal Artillery, the regiment known as the West Riding Gunners, being mainly recruited from the Leeds area. The battery deployed 25-pounder field guns, introduced during WW2 and the British Army's primary artillery field piece until the late 1960s.

The brunt of the Chinese assault was borne by 1st Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment, with around 750 men fighting over 10,000 Chinese at Hill 235 on the Imjin River. Only 40 men managed to reach safety following the order to break out. The Commanding Officer, Lt Col James Carne was captured, held in solitary confinement and eventually released September 1953. The following month he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry and leadership at the Imjin.

The Gloucestershire Regiment and 170 Battery 45 Field Regiment Royal Artillery were both awarded a US Presidential Unit Citation, the highest American award for heroism and collective gallantry.

Photo - National Army Museum

21/04/2026

WE MARK THE CENTENARY of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's birth, our longest serving Sovereign and SSAFA Patron throughout her reign of 70 years.

She is pictured outside Queen Elizabeth House, SSAFA's London Headquarters.

15/04/2026

MARKING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF BERGEN-BELSEN CONCENTRATION CAMP.

A reminder, too, that The University of Huddersfield funds the FREE Holocaust Centre North exhibition, located in the main Campus and well worth a visit.

"It was shortly after the British Red Cross arrived, though it may have no connection, that a very large quantity of lipstick arrived. This was not at all what we men wanted, we were screaming for hundreds and thousands of other things and I don't know who asked for lipstick. I wish so much that I could discover who did it, it was the action of genius, sheer unadulterated brilliance. I believe nothing did more for those internees than the lipstick. Women lay in bed with no sheets and no nightie but with scarlet red lips, you saw them wandering about with nothing but a blanket over their shoulders, but with scarlet red lips. I saw a woman dead on the post mortem table and clutched in her hand was a piece of lipstick. At last, someone had done something to make them individuals again, they were someone, no longer merely the number tattooed on the arm. At last, they could take an interest in their appearance. That lipstick started to give them back their humanity."
- Lieutenant Colonel Mervin Willett Gonin DSO, commanding officer of the Royal Army Medical Corps at Bergen-Belsen

80 years ago on 15 April 1945, the N**i concentration camp Bergen-Belsen was liberated by the British 11th Armoured Division. The soldiers discovered approximately 60,000 prisoners inside, most of them half-starved and seriously ill, and another 13,000 corpses lying around the camp unburied.

The photo shows a sign erected by British Forces at the entrance to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in May 1945. The remains of the camp itself were about to be burnt to the ground by the British occupation forces. A similar sign in German was also erected.

15/04/2026

Following on from last week’s post regarding VALOUR (see below) we’re expanding upon the information released at that time.

Originally announced 26 June 2025, the Government’s VALOUR programme aims to coordinate and improve services to veterans by delivering the right support, in the right place, at the right time. The programme is being led by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA), within the Ministry of Defence, and to date a Headquarters has been established and Field Officers recruited.

At a local level a “VALOUR Recognised Centre” is to be established, providing veterans with access to a range of services for veterans. As the previous post set out, the Government has announced funding for the 14 successful bids in the first phase of implementation. Regions awarded this initial round of funding are shown, and in the North East there are 2 regions represented.

There was no submission from West Yorkshire in the first phase, and we believe that a bid will be forthcoming in the second phase, details of which are expected to be announced soon. If successful, we will then be in a position to outline the VALOUR implantation applicable to West Yorkshire.

Once again, our congratulations to our colleagues in Scotland for being amongst the first recipients of funding.

06/04/2026

SSAFA is proud to ANNOUNCE the award of VALOUR FUNDING in Scotland, one of the 14 regions to receive funding in the first phase of VALOUR implementation across the UK.

03/04/2026

AN INVITATION TO SHIPLEY VETERANS BREAKFAST CLUB.

The Pride of Shipley will be hosting the first meeting of this new breakfast club, to be held on Sunday 12th April 2026, with subsequent meetings every second Sunday of the month.

Meetings 10.00am to 12.30pm
The Pride of Shipley, Victoria House, Market Square, Shipley BD18 3QB

All members of the Armed Forces are welcome to attend, whether veterans or still serving, along with their families. There’s no membership, no pressure, so feel welcome to call in and buy a breakfast, or a drink, and enjoy some banter with fellow veterans in a relaxed atmosphere.

A warm welcome awaits ..…