SSAFA Nottinghamshire opened an office in Retford on February 19 to cater for the increasing demand for SSAFA’s services from veterans and their families in the north of the county, and to be a more visible and accessible presence in the community.

The new office was officially opened by Brendan Clarke-Smith, MP for Bassetlaw. Present, too, were Andy Ingham, Chair of SSAFA East Midlands Region, Cllr Johno Lee, Deputy Armed Forces Champion for Nottinghamshire County Council, and Cllr Tony Eaton, Armed Forces Champion for Bassetlaw.

Commenting, Mr Clarke-Smith said: ‘”Thank you to SSAFA for opening this office in Retford. Here in Bassetlaw, we have many military veterans and their family members who need help. The government is committed to improving the support we give to our veterans.

Chair of SSAFA Nottinghamshire Branch Norman Hodges said: “Our new Retford office is open to all veterans and family members to come and talk to us if they need help, and is part of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity working more closely with the communities we serve making it easier for those seeking our help.”

Gerald Bowers, Branch Secretary of SSAFA Nottinghamshire, commented that SSAFA is proud that so many of its services are delivered by volunteer caseworkers.

Mr Bowers added: “All our volunteers act with integrity and are non-judgemental. We help people respectfully and provide practical solutions to meet their needs. We at SSAFA – the oldest tri-service charity in the UK – understand that behind every uniform is a person. And we are here for that person and their family any time they need us, in any way they need us, for as long as they need us.”

The satellite office is at 3 Amelia Court, Swanton Close, Retford DN22 7HJ. It can be reached on 020 4566 9114, and is open Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am to 1pm. Pre-arranged appointments are advised.

For more information, visit the Nottinghamshire Branch of SSAFA at ssafa.org.uk.