Page 5 - CAMPAIGN Winter 2021

A further initiative that we have launched is the “British Nuclear Veterans’ Winter Warmer” free giveaway. A flyer is enclosed in this Campaign edition for our veteran members to take up the offer and stay warm this winter by claiming a navy blue sleeveless gilet with an embroidered BNTVA crest. John Lax, Operation Dominic veteran, who retired as a Trustee on his 80th birthday in August, has kindly modelled a gilet outside in chilly Scotland and he finds it very cosy.
I am delighted to report that Edmund (Ed) McGrath, Operation Antler veteran, was unanimously voted as the new BNTVA Chair. Ed worked in insurance in the City of London throughout his career after being conscripted into National
Service at the Commonwealth testing series at Maralinga. Ed has chaired Public Limited Companies and volunteers for the Royal Marsden Hospital at Sutton, Surrey.
I continue to work with Ed and the board of Trustees on a daily basis and will report to the Trustees regularly as we recruit for a Community Engagement Worker through the Armed Forces Covenant. Our desire is to meet the large volume of welfare requests that we receive, and to assist our veterans and their widows with War Pensions.
I am in continuing discussions with NHS England’s Armed Forces Commissioning and with NHS Wales concerning the development of bespoke mental health services for our nuclear test veterans in conjunction with the BNTVA. We will press Scotland too, but this is a lengthy process with each nation due to devolution in health. This is a very important step as we have recently gained information that a number of British nuclear test veterans took their own lives in the early years after the nuclear tests. This has astounded senior military officers and some MPs as much as the BNTVA, and they too feel that looking after our veterans is an absolute priority. If you are feeling low, please contact the BNTVA on 0208 144 3080. If you would like to talk in confidence to the Association Chaplain, we can link you up.
We hope that you enjoy reading this edition of the Campaign magazine. We receive post on a daily basis with
stories, photos, drawings, letters of encouragement and cards from veterans and families. Thank you all who have contributed throughout 2021, encouraged and given us your wise counsel over the year – we really appreciate it.
Next year promises to be a very busy time, culminating in research results relevant to our community, working with film makers, exhibitions, roadshows and the Conference Reunion at Ashford, Kent, to coincide with the 70th Anniversary of Operation Hurricane.
If restrictions aren’t in place, we hope to meet some of the people who John Folkes has mentioned in his article, “Death Chamber - A Gap in the Maralinga Story”, as well as other international friends of the BNTVA from Christmas Island, Australia, Canada and France.
Finally, if you are a nuclear test veteran and have received a letter from the government stating that any further correspondence you send will be viewed as vexatious, please can you inform the BNTVA?
Wishing you all a blessed Christmas and new year from myself, our new Chair, Ed, and the Trustees.
Ceri McDade
UniDip (Theol.) PGCert (M.H.Psych) PGDip. (Soc.Res.)
Chief Executive Officer
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In the summer, we were invited to apply to the Veterans’ Foundation to a specific fund which awarded salary costs. We recently heard that our application was successful, and the BNTVA has received funding for two part-time posts with a primary
focus on welfare. The posts are initially 12 hours per week for a Chief Executive Officer and 14 hours a week for a Community Engagement Officer.
Please note that no BNTVA membership money or Association reserves is being used towards these posts, just the funding from the Veterans’ Foundation. I have left the board of Trustees to step into the part-funded role of CEO and am continuing to work my full-time hours.
CAMPAIGN WINTER 2021