Blesma News
Latest news from Blesma, The Limbless Veterans
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For the Fallen - Read by Blesma Members
11 November 2020
For the Fallen - Laurence Binyon As we all know Remembrance Day 2020 was different to any other. Though the Coronavirus pandemic led to the cancellation of many National events such as the Annual March to the Cenotaph, we know that many of our Members, along with the wider military community, nonetheless marked Remembrance in their own personal ways. Once again, it was a time to consider how to mark this poignant event even though we were apart, and remind our community that Blesma is as united as ever. We gathered a collection of rea
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Blesma Member walks again for the first time in six years
6 November 2020
Former Gurkha Pradip Rai, who is paralysed from the chest down, has walked again thanks to robotic exoskeleton technology. Prad, 48, has used a wheelchair for the last six years, but over summer he was able to trial four different suits at The Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital. Taking his first steps was an “emotional and happy moment for everyone involved,” he said. “After paralysis, any form of walking is very good because you get to talk to people at eye level,” said Prad. “It feels good; you can be helpful at home and walking improves your circulation and heart rate, as wel
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Making Generation R is back for a new term
5 November 2020
“Our stories help school children build resilience.” – Josh Boggi, Blesma Member & MGR Speaker At a time when teachers and schools are looking at ways to support both their students’ learning and wellbeing, Making Generation R is here to help young people build resilience. Through Making Generation R, Blesma Members are professionally trained to deliver powerful talks based on their own story of overcoming adversity. These talks are designed to help young people understand what it means to be resilient and how they can find helpful coping strategies to sup
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Letters page: George Watson
2 November 2020
I read in a recent copy of Blesma magazine that about 4% of Blesma Members are over the age of 90. As I am 97 years old, it prompted me to share my story. During the early part of WWII (between 1939 and 1941) I worked in John Brown’s Shipyard in Clydebank, near Glasgow. In wartime, the job was classed as a reserved occupation which meant you could not be called up for the Armed Forces. Most young men were anxious to join the Forces and I was no different. In 1941, I left the shipyards and started work as a locomotive engineer in the local gas works knowing full well
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