Jerome Church awarded OBE

We are pleased to announce former Blesma Chief Executive Jerome Church has been made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours List 2015 for services to veterans.

Jerome who was appointed chief executive in 2000 and oversaw much of the human cost of miltary activity Afghanistan and Iraq before retiring in 2013. 

Following a long military career, during which he lost a leg serving in Northern Ireland, he became a Member of Blesma and was appointed the chief executive in 2000. Over the years, he helped steer the organisation through a period of great and often unpredictable change and national conflict. 

“When I joined Blesma we were a Branch orientated organisation. We had thousands of WWII Members and their needs would increase with age, so growing the welfare service seemed sensible.

But the events that unfolded before our eyes as we were glued to the office TV that afternoon on 11 September 2001 would change our work in the years ahead. The first Blesma type casualty happened within about six week, in Afghanistan. The levels and complexity of amputation wounds rose dramatically in Iraq and then Afghanistan."

"Our predecessors, my predecessor, were real experts in the complex ins and outs of the War Pension, and that is still important for the majority of our Members. The real impact our work is more intimate, more directed to individual and their wellbeing. I’m always proud of welfare service and delighted that we have come so far in building our activities."

"We do take a long view – amputation is something young people live with for a long time – I know! Blesma are in it for the long haul and always have been."