We have supported the Falklands Veteran Foundation (FVF) for a number of years. This year, we are delighted to award a £15,000 grant to help maintain Liberty Lodge in the Falkland Islands.
In 2017, our support to the FVF enabled veteran and former Lance Corporal in 30th Signal Regiment, Jim McLachlan, to return to the Falkland Islands. Jim had never had the chance to attend his comrades’ funerals during the conflict, and this trip provided the opportunity to pay his respects to those who fought and fell there. In 2018 and 2019 our support also assisted many groups to include veterans from 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, 7th Gurkha Rifles Regiment and 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment (2 Para). The FVF opened Liberty Lodge in 2009 to provide a calm space for former soldiers like Jim to reflect and have a ‘home’ during their visits to the Falklands.
Lt Col (Ret’d) Tony Davies OBE MBE, Chairman of the Falklands Veterans Foundation said “We are extremely grateful once again to ABF The Soldiers’ Charity for their continued support to the Falklands Veterans Foundation with this grant, it will assist us in maintaining Liberty Lodge, the Veterans flagship home in Port Stanley. This will go a long way in helping us maintain the high standards we wish for Falklands Veterans and the families of those who did not return.”
The FVF is the oldest UK-based charity for Falklands Veterans and their families. It provides a support network for those returning to the Islands and battlefields which were significant to them during the war. Liberty Lodge is an important place where Veterans can reflect and remember those they served with. Our grant will go towards the maintenance of this building, so it can continue to serve as a safe haven for veterans who visit.
Brigadier (Ret’d) Robin Bacon, Chief of Staff at ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, said: “For 75 years we have been supporting the Army family to ensure they receive the fairest treatment for their service and we exist to support them for life. That is why we are delighted to support the Falklands Veterans Foundation with the brilliant, supportive work they do to help these veterans.”
To find out more about the Falklands Veterans Foundation and their work, visit: www.falklandsveterans.org.uk