2021
Blesma Updates for 2021, covering news, activities and fundraising events for limbless veterans.
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Have you tried Para Ice Hockey?
12 March 2021
Much like wheelchair rugby, this is a full-contact, no-holds-barred sport that is definitely not for the faint-hearted. The players propel themselves with a pair of sticks; one end spiked for gripping the ice while the other has a blade for hitting the puck. Jake Oakley, of the Sheffield Steelkings para Ice Hockey club is reaching out to Members, to see if they might like to give the sport a go. This sport is fast paced, highly skilled and physically demanding. It's great for people with lower body disabilities and injuries and men and women from
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Armed Forces Veterans set for Census 2021
10 March 2021
The decennial census is almost upon us and, for the first time, people are able to say if they are a veteran of the armed forces. The census, run by the Office for National Statistics, is a once-in-a-decade survey that gives us the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales. It has been carried out every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941.Among the new questions this time is one asking people whether they have served in the armed forces to support commitments made by central and local government under the Armed Forces Covenant – the d
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Happy International Women's Day!
8 March 2021
It's International Women's Day! Here we look at the story of Blesma Member Shona Brownlee. “I looked down after my operation, and I didn’t have toes any more, which was odd,” she says. “I woke up and things were different. I was worried about having a stump – I just couldn’t imagine it – but it’s actually fine. The situation I am in now is much preferable to what I was going through before.” Shona was injured during the final exercise of her Basic Training in 2012. “It sounds stupid because it was such a minor thing,” she says. “I slid off a ledge into a loadi
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Gary Huntley nears completiion of "One Million Mile" challenge for Blesma
6 March 2021
Former Soldier, Gary Huntley, began his challenge on January 1st and set himself just 66 days to reach his target. In the process, he has also been attempting to raise £10,000 for Blesma. Gary, who served for 22 years; 12 in the 1st Battalion of The Parachute Regiment and 10 in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment has been rowing the distance on his Concept rowing machine in-between his busy days as a fitness coach. The Gary Huntley Training owner from Bedford said: “On average, its 15,000 metres a day which takes me roughly an hour to complete. It sounds like nothing
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