Donate time and/or money

How Can You Help?

Click here to Volunteer

Could YOU help SSAFA in Somerset? Have you the skills and some spare time to make a real difference to those people, and their families, who have served their country?

Click on the image above to send an email to SSAFA Somerset’s Recruiting Officer.


Click here to help with Fund-raising

Would YOU like information about the Friends of SSAFA Somerset, would like to assist at our events or would like a speaker for your club or community group.

Click on the image above to send an email to the FOSS Secretary.

Click here for ways to Donate

Would YOU like to make a donation. The SSAFA website provides ways to donate to the oldest Military Charity in the UK.

Click on the image above to jump to the SSAFA Donate page.

Who are FOSS and SSAFA

More About Us

The Friends of SSAFA Somerset (“FOSS”) is here to support the Somerset branch of SSAFA by raising funds and organising events throughout the year and look forward to welcoming you at some of them! See our Events page for what appeals to you.

The Friends of SSAFA Somerset (FOSS) was established in 2000 by Sir Jerry Wiggin and Brigadier DP de C Morgan. As a committee it was set the challenge of raising £10,000 a year to support the Somerset Branch of SSAFA.

We are the UK’s oldest Armed Forces charity. Our 130 years of experience have helped us to understand the unique demands of military life – and we believe that those who have served their country should get the best possible support when they need it.

From Facebook and twitter

Latest Social Media Feeds

Facebook Feed

SSAFA Somerset

3 hours ago

SSAFA Somerset
Poignant.His friends called him "Monkey" for a reason. When King George V pinned a Victoria Cross on his chest, he turned to the Queen Mary, winked, and loudly proclaimed "Mine's a Pint!"He wasn't exactly "VC material" either by all accounts. Sam Harvey had been kicked out of the army once before, and had a misconduct sheet dating back to his first enlistment in 1903. On 29 September 1915, he was a 34 year old "terminal" Private in the 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment now fighting in France during WW1. It was there that he'd earn the Victoria Cross hauling boxes of 25lb boxes of grenades over no-man's-land to his comrades. It was a trip that he made a whooping 30 times non-stop over a 13 hour period. He only stopped when a German round hit him square in the head. Miraculously, he survived his wounds to receive his VC in 1917. The French gave him a Croix de Guerre, and the Russians gave him an Cross of the Order of St. George to add to his many war honours. Those medals would mean nothing in a post war world. Sam Harvey re-entered the civilian world without purpose, suffering chronic pain, and losing a battle to alcoholism. He lived in squatter shacks and poorhouses, working odd jobs. Onlookers often scoffed at the unkempt man muttering repeatedly to himself "dig the trench, just dig the trench" as he worked. It was at this time he is said to have duped into swapping his Victoria Cross for a beer by a sleazy drunkard or con-artist. Things seemed to look up for him in his 60s, when he married for the first and only time in his life. 69 year old widow Georgina Brown gave him a measure of peace and companionship, that he perhaps never had. For the first time in decades, he lived in a fixed address and got a grip over his alcoholism. Sadly, Georgina died after only 4 years of marriage in 1948, leaving his life in utter disarray. Sam Harvey spent his final years losing his battle to alcoholism and whatever demons haunted him. He 23 September 1960 - alone and penniless at Stow Lodge Hospital. His only possession was a miniature replica of his war time medal group. With no living family or friends, he was buried in an unmarked grave in IpswichIn 2000, members of his former regiment and the Western Front Association erected a gravestone to him, 85 years to the date of his VC action. As of 2021, the Victoria Cross swindled from him during a moment of weakness has never been recovered. Though he was forgotten in his own lifetime, we'll never forget Sam "Monkey" Harvey VC. ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

SSAFA Somerset

18 hours ago

SSAFA Somerset
Royal Navy works alongside Leonardo to deliver surprise for local ScoutsThe sound of whirring rotor blades grew louder and suddenly a Leonardo AW159 Helicopter emerged from above the tree line to land in Holy Trinity Scouts’ campsite, to give the Scouts an unforgettable experience of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths). Up to that point, the Scouts had been given no indication that they were about to witness an AW159 Wildcat approach the field, fly several circuits and then land. Commanding Officer of 825 Naval Air Squadron, Scott ‘Stimpy’ Simpson, then emerged from the aircraft to give them a STEM briefing like no other – on the design and technology which powers the helicopter and also how it is operated by the Royal Navy and Army Air Corps. As his aircraft left, the Aircrew waved from the windows, to return to RNAS Yeovilton, after completing a training mission earlier in the evening around the South Coast.Commander Simpson was joined by Scout Leader Scott Sullivan, who is also Assistant Chief Project Engineer on the Leonardo AW101 helicopter, as well as fellow Scout Leader, Sam Newton from Leonardo’s site at Lysander Road and with support from AW101 Project Engineer Joseph Ribbons. Together they spoke to the Scouts about the principles of helicopter flight, the helicopter’s capabilities and its operational deployments around the world.The Scouts were shown a flying helmet, immersion suit and lifejacket which was worn by one of their leaders and activated to show the inflation of the life-vest and the deployment of the radio antenna so a rescue crew could locate them. The Scouts gained insights into the use of the AW159 Helicopter’s displays using the Electronic Optical Designating System (EODS) and were shown images taken earlier that evening from height over the Scout Field. The Scouts were taught how to perform a ‘FOD PLOD’, checking the field for Foreign Object Debris that could have posed a risk to the aircraft before it landed. The Scouts also got to handle a set of Night Vision Goggles, to view the landscape at night with a clarity they’d expect in daylight.The Scouts learned about the various aspects of Royal Navy operations, including the delivery of humanitarian aid and transportation of medical equipment, alongside anti-piracy, counter narcotic and maritime security operations. Commander Simpson provided an exciting brief of his career to date since joining the Royal Navy in 1999 with Scouts and Leaders hearing about his career highlights which included his time with HMS Endurance and landing the predecessor to the Wildcat, the Lynx on icebergs whilst supporting the filming in Antarctica for the BBC Planet Earth series. Scott Sullivan said: “We would like to give our thanks to Commander Simpson and 825 Naval Air Squadron for giving the Scouts a remarkable experience of engineering at close range. We have had wonderful feedback from the Scouts and their families on the lasting impression this has left on them and we very much hope that it marks the beginning of a very rewarding future in engineering.”Commander Simpson added: “It was a real pleasure to visit Holy Trinity Scouts tonight to give a presentation about 825 Naval Air Squadron and the Wildcat. What better way to start a STEM discussion than a locally built helicopter arriving. The questions the Scouts posed were thoughtful and inquisitive and I hope they were able to learn a lot this evening and I hope they enjoyed seeing some of the kit we use. It was also great to support a local group after the difficult period we have all experienced during COVID”. ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

SSAFA Somerset

2 days ago

SSAFA Somerset
Happy retirement Brian! ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

SSAFA Somerset

2 days ago

SSAFA Somerset
The Church of St Peter & St Paul in North Curry is nicknamed ‘The Cathedral of the Moors’. A drive along the A361 through West Lyng gives a particularly atmospheric view across Haymoor and Currymoor at night as the church is lit up.There are four Commonwealth War Graves in the beautiful and peaceful surroundings - Harry Gannett, John Hebditch, Peter Carr and Charles Stodgell.Find out more at www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/search-results/?CemeteryExact=true&Cemetery=NORTH%20CURRY...We will remember them. ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Twitter Feed

SSAFA SomersetFollow

Avatar
Retweet on TwitterSSAFA Somerset Retweeted
AvatarArmed Forces Day 🇬🇧@ArmedForcesDay·
14 Jun

There are only 1️⃣2️⃣ days until Armed Forces Day👏🎉

📷 Lets take a look back at some of the great displays our Armed Forces have performed for us 🥳 🇬🇧👇

#ArmedForcesDay

4
Reply on Twitter 1404469331510059014Retweet on Twitter 140446933151005901438Like on Twitter 1404469331510059014126Twitter 1404469331510059014
AvatarSSAFA Somerset@SSAFASomerset·
14 Jun

The Church of St Peter & St Paul in North Curry is nicknamed ‘The Cathedral of the Moors’. There are four Commonwealth War Graves in the beautiful and peaceful surroundings - Harry Gannett, John Hebditch, Peter Carr and Charles Stodgell.
Find out more at https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/search-results/?CemeteryExact=true&Cemetery=NORTH%20CURRY%20(SS.%20PETER%20AND%20PAUL)%20CHURCHYARD

4
Reply on Twitter 1404391921078972418Retweet on Twitter 14043919210789724181Like on Twitter 14043919210789724181Twitter 1404391921078972418
Retweet on TwitterSSAFA Somerset Retweeted
AvatarThe Army in London@ArmyInLondon·
12 Jun

Trooping the Colour in 30 seconds!

The @scots_guards is one of the toughest fighting units in the @BritishArmy. Famed for their agility, reconnaissance, tactics, combat and specialised mechanised prowess they are brilliant at ceremonial drill too! @RoyalFamily @DefenceHQ

Reply on Twitter 1403759689721122821Retweet on Twitter 1403759689721122821817Like on Twitter 14037596897211228215223Twitter 1403759689721122821
Retweet on TwitterSSAFA Somerset Retweeted
AvatarSSAFA@SSAFA·
13 Jun

Last year, @SSAFA's staff and teams of volunteers supported 85,616 people, providing welfare, health, and support services, for the UK military's serving personnel, veterans, and their families ▸ http://ssaf.as/howwehelp

Reply on Twitter 1403962841481334786Retweet on Twitter 140396284148133478614Like on Twitter 140396284148133478624Twitter 1403962841481334786
Retweet on TwitterSSAFA Somerset Retweeted
AvatarITV News West Country@itvwestcountry·
12 Jun

If successful, it would see a new production line created in Yeovil

https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2021-06-09/inside-the-helicopter-manufacturer-trying-to-make-the-uks-next-military-chopper

Reply on Twitter 1403668904120143873Retweet on Twitter 14036689041201438732Like on Twitter 14036689041201438736Twitter 1403668904120143873
FOSS, SSAFA Somerset and SSAFA News

Latest News

FOSS

Open Garden best ever result!

Dear AllA huge thank you to you all is not enough to say what a tremendous effort everyone put in today for our Open Garden and what a brilliant day …

Read More
SSAFA Somerset Branch Support

How Can We Help You?

SSAFA Forcesline

SSAFA Forcesline is a free and confidential telephone helpline and email service that provides support for serving (regulars and reserves) and ex-service men and women from the Armed Forces and for their families. As an independent charity, SSAFA is not part of the military chain of command. In the majority of cases, anything that you tell us will be kept private and between you and our staff. Learn More

SUPPORT FOR THE ARMED FORCES IN SOMERSET

If you have, or have ever had, a connection with the armed forces or are a dependent, and struggling in areas such as home improvements or family breakdown, we may be able to help you. Please use email form left to make contact with Branch if at all possible as the telephone number is a messaging service only.



SSAFA Somerset, Eagle House, 21-22 Alexandra Parade, Weston super Mare, Somerset, BS23 1QX
020 8938 3633
Somerset@ssafa.org.uk