8 minute read
ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
Let me tell the story of welfare in Spain and the never-ending, .selfless effort that goes into supporting Beneficiaries who find them selves in need of the Legion’s support.
We work hard to recruit volunteer case workers with a little time and a passion to support and enable beneficiaries to live the best life they can. We work closely together as a team to understand our Beneficiaries’ needs and support them. Without willing volunteers, there is no team, so we support those Volunteers with training, mentorship and expenses. They then go on to provide the service wherever and whenever it is needed across a large part of Spain and the islands.
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We are always looking for telephone buddies and Hospital and house bound visitors as well in the local community to support veterans and their nearest and dearest. Again, training and support is part of our commitment to them.
To give you just a flavour of how these activities work in tandem, here are just a few of the many stories covering the whole range of activities from our Headquarters in London right through to the Beneficiaries who need our help:
Rachel Coles – Overseas Team Leader
I’ve worked for the RBL for ten years – starting as an Administrator in the East Anglia & Essex team before moving onto welfare-related projects and then taking up the post of Team Leader, Overseas. I manage a team of two Case Officers and currently have two Advice & Information Officers seconded to the team. The team was assembled six months before the Covid-19 pandemic and our caseload has significantly expanded to (more than) fill our staff capacity.
We are extremely grateful for our network of branches and volunteers overseas who undertake a high volume of casework on our behalf – we really couldn’t do this without them!
Dianne Findlay-Craig – Caseworker
“When I arrived at the course with a basic knowledge of what welfare caseworkers did in their role - however I only knew 10%! What an amazing job these volunteers do and I am now extremely proud to call myself one. I look forward to the role and hope that the trust and faith placed in me by the RBL proves to be well founded!
A few months on I have finished my mentorship and working with beneficiaries. It is hard work but amazing and I am still well supported with each case.”
Billie Graham-Thomas and Carl Thomas – Beneficiaries turned Caseworkers
I am a disabled Royal Navy Veteran I was injured in service when I was attached the Royal Marines back in 1997 and medically discharged in 1998. My husband Carl is also a veteran and he served in the Royal Air Force for 30 years before leaving at the end of his long career in 2015. We moved to Spain whilst Carl was on official resettlement leave from the Royal Air Force in December of 2014. Everything went well, and we settled down into Spanish life.
A few years later I needed an operation which when being able bodied would be fine but being disabled and having to use crutches and a mobility scooter wasn’t so great and we found that I wouldn’t be able to get around my home on the mobility scooter I had as it was too large for use in the house and I wouldn’t be able to use the crutches due to the nature of the operation I was having. I needed a smaller electric wheelchair that would be suitable to get into the car too. We spoke to a lovely lady called Pam Twissell-Cross MBE who is the District Coordinator at the Royal British Legion Spain District North who really put us at ease with her calm manner and down to earth attitude, we explained that we really did not have to funds to purchase the wheelchair and car hoist. A caseworker was assigned to us, and we were granted assistance. Without the help that we received we would have been really struggling, but I had a whole new lease of life. I can even get out on my own when needed too and safely in the knowledge that I don’t have any problem getting the wheelchair in and out of the car on my own due to the hoist that was funded by the Royal British legion and the Wheelchair that was funded by the Royal British Legion. In fact, my husband and I were so overwhelmed with the help that we received that we both went on to become caseworkers here in Spain District North. My husband Carl is now the Chairperson of the Murcia branch and I and the Branch Community Support for our branch. We pay it forward in the hope that we can help more veterans in our area and get the message that the Royal British Legion here in Spain are here to help if we can. From a home visit to help with forms to a visit at home or hospital if you can’t get out, maybe you would like a phone buddy someone to talk to, to full blown welfare cases. All of this vital support activity is overseen by the Legion’s central Overseas Support Team in London, who support all Veterans who reside outside of the UK. The team Leader is Rachel Coles, who somehow pulls all of this together and is our advocate in the UK to support and enable us to provide where ever possible a beneficiary needs to improve the quality of their life. The Beneficiaries
Of course the story wouldn’t be complete without hearing just some of the stories of those who have been helped by the Legion in the recent past. We are grateful to them for agreeing to let us share their stories.
Paul and Theresa Issitt
We moved to Spain in 2007, both got jobs and a house. We moved into the last one 4½ years ago. All was going well, the COVID hit. I was put on ERTE but had to wait 7 months for my money, my husband lost his job, so we lived on our savings until they ran out. After COVID we went back to work but we got behind in the rent.
The Royal British Legion were fantastic in assisting us with the rent. But in the meantime we received a letter from our landlord, telling us we must vacate the house so she can put her daughter in, as she had been evicted. So we were going to be homeless: this was summer, so no places to rent. But we managed to get a holiday let, this is where the Royal British Legion assisted us again. Then again with the removals.
We are now in a new home and unpacking the boxes (brings back memories of military life). Without the help of the Royal British Legion, we don’t know what would have happened to us. We cannot thenk them enough and this was a very stressful and anxious time. Our caseworker, Bille, was amazing, also Pamela Twissell-Cross. These ladies are voluntary but with kind words and compassion we got through a bad situation to a good place. We would like to thank the beneficiaries, the caseworkers and the UK team who have shared their stories for this piece. However, the number of Veterans and their dependants who need support is constantly increasing. If you know of anyone who needs our help, or you need it yourself, you can get in touch with us using the contact details on Page (…) of this programme. Of course, this means that we are always in need of more Volunteers to help support them – if you have the time and qualities to join our team and help to provide that vital support, please get in touch. Royal British Legion | 23
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