Richard Benyon, MP for Newbury, recently met with the Royal British Legion’s local Area Manager Pat Chadwick and Membership Council member Helen Picken to discuss current issues facing the Armed Forces community.
The Royal British Legion is the country’s largest Armed Forces charity, and provides welfare assistance for many thousands of veterans, serving personnel and their families. Richard attended a Legion event in Parliament to show his support for the charity’s work.
Legion research has found that the biggest issues currently experienced by working-age members of the UK ex-Service community include hearing loss and difficulty finding employment; among over-75s, physical health and care are among the most common problems. The Legion successfully campaigned for a £10m hearing loss fund, supports career transition through its Civvy Street website and delivers practical assistance through community outreach services and six care homes. A network of 16 high street ‘Pop In’ centres has also been developed to make it easier for beneficiaries to seek help.
Pat Chadwick, the Legion’s area manager for Berkshire, said, “I was delighted to see Richard and we were grateful that he took the time to drop in. The Royal British Legion provides lifelong support for the Armed Forces community – serving men and women, veterans and their families. This latest parliamentary event offered a great opportunity to spread the word about the range of services we provide, and it was a pleasure to discuss this in detail with Richard.”
Richard added, “I enjoyed meeting staff from the Royal British Legion and learning more about the work being done in my local area. Members of the Armed Forces community make huge sacrifices in the service of our country and I am proud to support the work of the Legion in honouring the memory of the fallen and building a better future for the living.”
