Page 3 - CAMPAIGN Spring 2021

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A Message from the Chair
Dear Member,
After closing the door on 2020, I am sure you will agree with me in still being slightly cautious about 2021. The advent of the Astra Zeneca and Pfizer vaccines have given some hope, yet we are still in early days as the pandemic continues, and I, like so many thousands of others, have lost close friends to this terrible virus.
We are very aware of the feelings of continuing loneliness, isolation and anxiety within the British nuclear community, and we are here for you. If you’d benefit from one-to-one friendship by talking with the same person on a regular basis, then we can link you with our peer-and-pair service, BNTVA Nuclear Companions, born out of the Social Hub, and funded by the Veterans’ Foundation.
Please contact if you want to talk on 0208 144 3080.
The Trustees have been working hard on producing policies to secure the infrastructure of the Charity, and a workable strategy to bring the BNTVA through the next three years.
We have established a vision statement of working to alleviate need, advance knowledge and strengthen the nuclear community; a mission statement of serving our British nuclear test veterans and their families for the long-term, and the following themes:
• We will take a beneficiary centred approach.
• We will preserve the legacy of the nuclear tests.
• We will strive for recognition of our nuclear test veterans and their families.
Between 2021 and 2024, we will
1. Invest in building the capacity and infrastructure of our Board of Trustees, volunteers and staff to best deliver our work.
2. Ensurewe’relisteningand responding to the needs of beneficiaries to create a long-lasting impact.
3. Establish a virtual accredited museum.
4. Improve wellbeing for beneficiaries. 5. Establish the growth of the Charity.
Gwen Bostwick and myself have completed training with Age UK, and are ready to begin as group facilitators for the veterans’ Telephone Friendship Groups, funded by the Armed Forces
Covenant Fund Trust. Both groups are nearly full, and it should be interesting for Age UK as they have only worked with service-specific charities so far.
If you would like to be included, please contact us on 0208 144 3080; we accept veterans who live anywhere, including in care homes, and also veterans with mild dementia. Wives and widows are also expressing their interest in Telephone Friendship Groups for women, and we are currently seeking funding to make this happen. Within the next quarter, we will be working with the NCCF to produce an engagement survey, to gain feedback and ideas, to establish tailored services and care for veterans, wives, widows and descendants.
Last month, we were approached
by BBC Radio Wales, to work on an in-depth episode of an award-winning programme, ‘Eye on Wales’, concerning the outcome of the medal submission. Maralinga veteran, Brian Dust, John Lax, our Vice Chair and Operation Dominic veteran, Dr Liz Tynan, academic and author of Atomic Thunder, Dr Christoph Laucht, Associate Professor of post-1945
CAMPAIGN SPRING 2021