Heather Wheeler MP recently met with The Royal British Legion’s local Area Manager Linda Flecknell in Parliament last week to discuss continued support for the Armed Forces community.
‘The Royal British Legion is the country’s largest Armed Forces charity, and provides welfare assistance for many thousands of veterans, serving personnel and their families. It was great meeting and talking to Linda Flecknell to discuss current issues facing the Armed Forces community in South Derbyshire, and around the country’.
‘The Royal British Legion has done some fantastic research regarding the current issues experienced by working-age members of the UK ex-Service community include hearing loss and difficulty finding employment; among over-75s, physical health and care are among the most common problems. Having said this, the RBL has successfully campaigned for a £10m hearing loss fund, they support career transition through its ‘Civvy Street’ website and they deliver practical assistance through community outreach services as well as having six care homes across the UK. It is also great to hear that a network of 16 high street ‘Pop In’ centres has also been developed to make it easier for beneficiaries to seek help.’
Heather Wheeler MP added, “I enjoyed meeting staff from The Royal British Legion and learning more about the work being done in my local area. Members of the Armed Forces community make huge sacrifices in Service of our country and I am proud to support the work of the Legion in honouring the memory of the fallen and building a better future for the living. This year was even more special as I was able to welcome my old Swadlincote friend Stuart Allen to Westminster, as the Membership Council representative of the East Midlands Royal British Legion. ”
Linda Flecknell, the Legion’s area manager for the East Midlands, said “I was delighted to see Heather and we were grateful that she took the time to drop in. The Royal British Legion offers a range of welfare support all year round, and last year we answered over 450,000 calls for help. This latest parliamentary event offered a great opportunity to spread the word about the range of services we provide, and it was a pleasure to discuss this in detail with Heather”.
Heather will continue to support the work of the Royal British Legion, both in South Derbyshire and across the UK.