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People attending the Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show are being asked to respond to a call from Help for Heroes to show the strength of public support for men and women who have served their country.
The Charity is bringing its Peace Puzzle to the two-day event at the Imperial War Museum, and will be asking people to sign one of the puzzle pieces that make up the exhibition stand, to show they are committed to being part of the solution to ensure that veterans get the support they deserve after service.
Barrie Griffiths is one of the Charity's ambassadors and will be on the exhibition stand talking to members of the public about The People's Promise to Veterans. He said, “Back in 2007, it was the great British public who got behind a campaign to support the wounded, injured and sick men and women who were returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.
“We want to build a united movement of veterans, our families, and our allies to fight for a future where every person who serves our country knows they’ll be backed, not abandoned, when their service ends. That’s why we’re coming to the Battle of Britain Airshow, to again ask people to show they value our veterans – and to send a clear message to those in power that they need to make lasting changes to how we support the men and women who protect us.”
The Charity has recently published an open letter to the Prime Minister Andy Burnham, calling for a generational shift in support for veterans. So far over 43,000 have added their names to the letter.
Local MP Pippa Heylings is backing the Charity's appeal to the public to show their support. She said: "I am delighted to hear that Help for Heroes' Peace Puzzle exhibition will be at this year's Battle of Britain Airshow to pledge support for veterans. The People's Promise is a powerful reminder that we can all be part of supporting our veterans.
"I'd encourage everyone visiting the Duxford Air Show on 12 and 13 September to stop by the stand, hear directly from veterans about the support they need, and add their name to a puzzle piece as a personal pledge of support. South Cambridgeshire has a proud connection to our service personnel, and I hope as many local people as possible will take the opportunity to show veterans they are seen, valued and supported."
Charities like ours, as well as other public services, will be under increasing strain to try to fill the gaps."
Ambassador
Barrie added, “With the push to expand our armed forces because of an increasingly unstable global picture, if we don’t get this right now, we’re sleepwalking towards a crisis.
“Charities like ours, as well as other public services, will be under increasing strain to try to fill the gaps. We've seen a 30 per cent increase on the number of veterans who asked for support in the previous year. If we don’t get this right now, how on earth will we be able to recruit the service men and women we need to protect us?"