Blesma News
Latest news from Blesma, The Limbless Veterans
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The Breakfast Club - It’s been called ‘the most memorable hour spent during lockdown’. Fancy trying it?
29 October 2020
The year 2020 will go down as the one in which the world truly went online. Stuck at home in lockdown, everyone has had to improvise, adapt and overcome when it’s come to staying connected. Blesma has been no exception, shifting a huge number of its activities into the virtual realm. One of the most successful has been a link up between Members and residents of the Royal Hospital Chelsea; the world-famous Chelsea Pensioners. A Blesma/Royal Hospital connection existed before lockdown, with a number of meetings at the wonderful building in London having already been arranged. But after
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Remembrance Day Statement from Blesma
27 October 2020
Remembrance Day is an important time to pause and reflect on the sacrifices of those who have served and, although we cannot attend the Cenotaph this year, we will still remember them. We know that our Members, veterans, their families and the nation will pause and reflect wherever they are at 11 am on November 11, to remember and honour the fallen. Blesma is also supporting veterans with the Remembrance 11K, a nationwide virtual event commencing on Remembrance Sunday which will see us come together to commemorate, and to support those who came home injured. Ours is an
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The first Game On For Blesma event has taken place, and raised more than £1,000 for Blesma!
25 October 2020
The first Game On For Blesma event has taken place, and raised more than £1,000 for Blesma! Callum Walker spent 24 hours on live video gaming website Twitch, raising more than £1,000 for the Association in the process. Starting at 5pm on Saturday 27 June and playing right through until 5pm the next day, Callum was the first gamer to live stream his gaming to support the Association. “The fundraiser went really well. I mixed it up a bit by playing multi-player games so I had people to talk to online,” said Callum, whose right leg was paralysed below the
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A Day in the Life Blesma Member: James O'Connell
23 October 2020
I served in 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment in the Falklands Conflict. During the Battle of Mount Longdon, the main attack came from the west, but my company was located to the north in the direct line of Argentine fire. All their guns were facing our location so our area was swept with machine gun fire and pounded with artillery. The battalion took many casualties: 23 dead and 48 wounded. I was clipped in the face by a bullet. I lost my right eye and cheekbone, the centre of my nose and my front teeth. Thanks to the expertise of surgeons over a
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