2020
The Blesma News for 2020 covering news, activities and fundraising events for limbless veterans.
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"It gives my mind a focus and gives me peace"
13 October 2020
A Blesma-funded course has given one Member the confidence and skills to start his own motorbike spray painting business. Roger Mason attended a Paint My Ride course last December, having always dreamed of working in the paint spraying industry. For the last eight years, he has been spray painting for his wife’s business 'Glamsticks', which specialises in customising and personalising mobility aids. He has been teaching himself along the way before he decided to take his passion further after finding it helped with his PTSD. Thanks to funding from Blesma, Roger attended an int
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Birthday Honours 2020: Veterans Paul Findlay and Mark Ormrod honoured
12 October 2020
Blesma Members Paul Findlay and Mark Ormrod have been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, becoming MBEs. Former Royal Marine Mark has been acknowledged for his service to the Royal Marines and Veterans, while former Royal Signal Corporal Paul is being celebrated for his charitable services, especially during the pandemic. The list is usually published in June inline with the Queen’s official birthday, but it was postponed so that individuals who played crucial roles in the first months of the coronavirus outbreak could be added.
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The Resilience Sessions - Ray Winstone and Ken Bellringer
10 October 2020
The Resilience Sessions is a podcast series featuring compelling in-depth interviews, which bring to light life-changing and affirming experiences of Blesma veterans and the unknown personal struggles of celebrity guests who have fought to overcome hardship, including mental health difficulties, disability, devastating injury and bereavement. This podcast series is created in association with The Drive Project, who work with Blesma to deliver Making Generation R. We have already helped over 50,000 young people and first responders through the Making Generation R camp
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It’s a different life after lockdown for Dominic
8 October 2020
Blesma Member who lost his job due to the coronavirus pandemic has found new employment thanks to the support of a number of charities. In March, Dominic Howells was a self-employed first aid trainer, but when the UK went into lockdown and businesses began to close temporarily, Dominic quickly found himself out of work. “A few weeks before lockdown began all the work dried up,” said Dominic, who served in the Royal Engineers for six years and lost the sight in his left eye after a roadtraffic accident in 1992. “I soon found myself in a position wher
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