Case studies
Support for wounded
Working alongside other military charities we have given grants of several thousand pounds to assist with home and car modifications for a Lance Sergeant who lost both legs and an arm in a bomb attack in Afghanistan. This included the provision of a modified fitness suite to help him develop his muscles for him to be able to walk on prosthetic limbs.
Just under £900 was paid for adaptations to the car of a Guardsman who suffered severe injuries in Afghanistan, resulting in multiple amputations. Subsequently, it was found that his wheelchair was not suitable for the area he was going to live in. To overcome this a motorised wheelchair was bought for £9,000, of which £3000 was provided by the Colonel’s Fund and the remainder from ABF The Soldier’s Charity.
Support to Families
A winter fuel grant of £21,900 was awarded to the families of all serving Guardsmen and Lance-Corporals. This helped seventy families deal with the massive increase in energy costs seen during the winter of 2022 / 2023.
A grant of £500 was made towards funeral costs for a 71-year-old widow of a Guardsman who completed his National Service in the 1950s.
Mobility, Well Being & Elderly Care
A grant of £2,500 was made to make the garden of the 39-year-old wife of a veteran wheelchair friendly. The veteran served for 23 years with the Scots Guards (and three with the PWRR). The veteran’s wife, who is confined to a wheelchair, is now able to enjoy the outdoors with her husband and children.
A grant of £819 was provided to assist the wife of a veteran, who served in the 1960s, to purchase a mobility scooter. She suffers from severe degenerative osteoporosis, a heart condition and spinal issues. Having a mobility scooter now gives her freedom to leave her home, which was previously not possible.
Employment & Training
A grant of £3,450 was made towards the education of a child with special educational needs who had been declined support by local education authorities. The need to care and home tutor their child had prevented the parents from gaining paid work. The child’s 51 year old father served for 17 years with the Scots Guards reaching the rank of Lance Sergeant, and had deployed on operations in the Falkland Islands, Northern Ireland and the Gulf in 1990/91. The educational grant helped the family afford the cost of a specialist school and allowed them time to return to work.
Housing & Homelessness
A grant of £875 was provided towards the cost of a new boiler for the 73 year old widow of a Scots Guardsman whose 12 years’ service included a tour in Malaya. Her old boiler had become so dangerous that she could not use it or the connected gas fire. The new boiler was installed in time to provide hot water and heating before the onset of winter.
When the local Council was unable to assist, a grant of £750 was awarded to a Scots Guards veteran, who served for 10 years in the 1970s and is suffering from COPD, to help him replace his boiler, which was old and emitting dangerous fumes.
