Page 7 - QARANC Vol 18 No 2 2020

Benevolence
Benevolence is an important function of the Association and despite lockdown and working from home the board is still able to make decisions on new cases. The QARANC Association Benevolent Fund awards financial grants to purchase specific goods, services or facilities for serving and retired members of the Corps, or their dependants, who are in need. We appreciate that many will have fallen on hard times due to the pandemic so we actively encourage you to seek assistance now rather than wait until your situation reaches crisis point. One day’s paid service in the Corps is the only criterion, and you do not have to be a member of the Association to apply.
Application for grants
Applications are handled on our behalf predominantly by SSAFA and The Royal
Editorial
As I write this editorial, we are all in the process of moving to a ‘new normal’ – our lives from now on will change in ways that we could not have imagined even six months ago. Lockdown for me has meant staying almost completely at home, shielding myself from the risks of contracting Covid-19, which although we know a lot about it, is difficult to control and has taken many lives.
I kept busy - knitting for a new grandchild expected in the Autumn; making wash bags and scrubs for my daughter’s colleagues at St Peter’s Hospital; doing lots and lots of gardening; family Zooms; games of Backgammon nearly every evening (we have played over 200 games this year); fortnightly Zoom quiz nights with the staff and volunteers of the Museum of Military Medicine; Zoom choir practices with the Military Wives (not a success!); binge-watching series on Netflix (addictive!).
I have been anxious too - about NHS appointments cancelled at extremely short notice; about my daughter Katie expecting her second child and going to work every day as a sister on an NHS emergency unit; about not getting enough food.
Much has now been mitigated - Katie and the expected baby are
British Legion. Their trained volunteer caseworkers continue to operate, though home visits have mainly been replaced by phone consultations.
How to apply
Your first approach should be to one of the following agencies who will in turn refer your case to the Association: www.ssafa.org.uk www.britishlegion.org.uk www.officersassociation.org.uk
If none of the above are in a position to assist the Association can be approached directly for urgent cases via the General Secretary on: gensec@qarancassociation.org.uk
Further information on how grants are assessed and awarded can be found on our website.
Friendship
It is during these unprecedented times
well; NHS appointments are slowly returning; food hasn’t been a problem - thanks to Ocado’s priority list and Riverford deliveries. Weekly treats - home delivery of ice cream sundaes from a local restaurant; a hot chocolate maker; home-made bread with fresh yeast and flour from our local bakery; nightly Messenger videos with our grandson. It’s not that we didn’t do any of these things before - it’s just that they have taken on a very special significance. Lockdown has made me feel grateful for many things I took for granted before - physical contact with family, (grandchildren hugs are the very best kind); having ready access to health care (thank you NHS 111 for being there and treating me when I needed it); neighbours - seeing all our neighbours clap for the NHS was marvellous, not just because they clapped but because we could see they were ok; friendship - hearing from old friends, and also the friendship of the Association - the card from the Countess of Wessex, and the surprise gift from Millbank Branch.
None of us knows what the immediate and long term future will hold for us. I obey the rules to keep myself safe, and I only know that like all of you, I will continue to be grateful to the NHS and to all the other services
that we all feel the need to reach out. As your Association we are here to offer as much support as we can.
If you are already affiliated to a Branch but have not managed to keep in touch then please do reconnect. The branches are providing amazing support through this difficult time. If you are on HQ roll then why not consider joining a branch.
Branch member or not, we are communicating in a variety of ways: through our Facebook, email and telephone calls. If you feel that you might need our support and assistance at this time then please do get in touch. Similarly if you know of any QAs in need of a helping hand please encourage them to get in touch. Every approach is dealt with sensitively and in confidence.
We are here to help.
Sue McAteer, General Secretary
Your editor’s ‘Lockdown project’ – baby blanket. 330 stiches and 420 rows
of 4 ply! 12 weeks to complete.
that have kept our country ticking over during the most testing of times.
I’d like to say thank you to everyone who took the time and effort to write about their experiences during the pandemic so far, and a big thank you to everyone who submitted articles and photographs for this edition of the Gazette.
The 75th anniversary of VJ Day was necessarily a very low-key affair, but I was very moved to listen to The Captives Hymn sung by Nicola Roberts on Horseguards as part of the country’s tribute. The Captives Hymn has special meaning for our Corps, and I can remember singing it at Dame Margot Turner’s Memorial Service many years ago. Sadly the VJ Day programme isn’t available on iPlayer at the moment, but Nicola Roberts singing is on You Tube. Take a look.
Alison Spires, Editor
The Gazette QARANC Association 5
How the QARANC Association can help you