Plymouth & South West Veterans

Not one of us likes to think on the inevitable, but we all know it lingers in the shadows waiting patiently.
However, when that day comes and we find ourselves grieving the loss of a loved one, it is nice to know that there are those who take great pride in ensuring the somewhat traumatic planning is done with empathy, passion and a truly unsurpassed kindness…
Southwest Funeral Care are those people who deliver… their compassion and understanding of all your needs go far and above the norm’, their premises in Southway provide a warm and inviting feeling and their approach to the care they provide both you and your loved ones excel all others…

Check out this guys work, amazing skills…

Home | Grumpy Veterans Distinctive military regimental artwork, skillfully crafted through hand carving, intricate 3D relief, and cutting-edge 3D printing. 

To understand a Military Veteran you must know:
* We left home as teenagers or in our early twenties for an unknown adventure.
* We loved our country enough to defend it and protect it with our own lives.
* We said goodbye to friends and family and everything we knew.
* We learned the basics and then we scattered in the wind to the far corners of the Earth.
* We found new friends and new family.
* We became brothers and sisters regardless of colour, race or creed.
* We had plenty of good times, and plenty of bad times.
* We didn’t get enough sleep.
* We smoked and drank too much.
* We picked up both good and bad habits.
* We worked hard and played harder.
* We didn’t earn a great wage.
* We experienced the happiness of mail call and the sadness of missing important events.
* We didn’t know when, or even if, we were ever going to see home again.
* We grew up fast, and yet somehow, we never grew up at all.
* We fought for our freedom, as well as the freedom of others.
* Some of us saw actual combat, and some of us didn’t.
* Some of us saw the world, and some of us didn’t.
* Some of us dealt with physical warfare, most of us dealt with psychological warfare.
* We have seen and experienced and dealt with things that we can’t fully describe or explain, as not all of our sacrifices were physical.
* We participated in time honored ceremonies and rituals with each other, strengthening our bonds and camaraderie.
* We counted on each other to get our job done and sometimes to survive it at all.
* We have dealt with victory and tragedy.
* We have celebrated and mourned.
* We lost a few along the way.
* When our adventure was over, some of us went back home, some of us started somewhere new and some of us never came home at all.
* We have told amazing and hilarious stories of our exploits and adventures.
* We share an unspoken bond with each other, that most people don’t experience, and few will understand.
* We speak highly of our own branch of service, and poke fun at the other branches.
* We know however, that, if needed, we will be there for our brothers and sisters and stand together as one, in a heartbeat.
* Being a Veteran is something that had to be earned, and it can never be taken away.
* It has no monetary value, but at the same time it is a priceless gift.

We’ve just heard this postman’s amazing story on Good Morning Britain, let’s give him a massive shout out at Medals Going Home and help his wonderful cause…

Medals Going Home Hi. I'm Adam. I research ww1 medals, photos, named antiques etc and try to trace living relatives.

The UK has 2.4 million veterans. Sadly, 1 in 20 UK veterans are suffering with PTSD.

We love this……

Who knew….

How good was Peter Butterworth in the Carry On films? We all appreciated his acting but did you know he was a war hero who helped inspire one of the most classic films of all time? You can read about this story below 👇

If you are planning on shopping at Tesco over the next few weeks, please try and pop into one of these smaller stores and support this amazing organisation by using your Stronger Starts token to vote for Improving Lives Plymouth - Veterans Community Support.

We are posting this for a fellow Veteran, (check out his work)… we all need a little help at times…

Get me Back on the Road. I cannot do it alone., organized by James Allott last year I was able to get on the road to show fellow veterans, and anim… James Allott needs your support for Get me Back on the Road. I cannot do it alone.

A Very Merry Christmas one and all 🎄🎅

Checkout this stunning mural which has been painted on the house behind the War Memorial in Abertillery, South Wales, UK 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇬🇧

The Flower Cafe.
Barbican.

One of our members was fortunate enough to have had an opportune moment in meeting Cllr Kevin Sproston for Budshead Ward (Naval Veteran), and one of his colleagues, not being one to waste such a chance meeting he aired a few issues that we all share.
Kevin was kind enough to chat for a short while and invited us to raise our concerns and issues with Fred Thomas for Plymouth Moor View.
Cllr Thomas is a former Royal Marines (Rupert) Captain and is currently standing to be Labours next MP for Plymouth Moor View.
So, if you have any issues or concerns you would like to see raised, feel free to message us and if/when we get the opportunity to meet Cllr Thomas we will be happy to pass them on…

We are putting a shout out to any Freehold Public House in the Plymouth area…. We have a large quantity of Spirits (around £1400 RRP) that we are looking to off-load for a Veteran (from his own collection), to help raise funds for a garden project.
Includes:- Rare rums, 12yr & 15yr old Malt Whiskeys, Bacardi, Blended Whiskey, Makers Mark, Woodford and many more.
Ideal for raffle prizes etc or if freehold a nice tipple for you locals - will sell job lot at a reasonable price…

Please come along and support this Community event by your RBL Plympton Branch.
Any would be musicians are more than welcome to bring an instrument or vocal talent to join The Roving Buskers open mic group

After a lot of hard work we have finally got Luke Tasker and his company up and running and venues Signing contracts.

For all your security needs from doors to events, from festivals to retail, between us all at Phoenix Security South West Ltd we have a vast wealth of experience and knowledge in the security industry, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Thankyou to everyone for your support!

……I don't know what the trigger was, but it hit me hard. I went home one evening and all of sudden, I felt a tightness in my chest, it was hard to breathe, I felt closed in and panicky. I bolted out of bed thinking I was dying. I paced the room in the dark for hours before I exhausted myself. I almost went to the ER that night, but the Soldier in me said to stick it out…

It’s long past time for this Government to introduce its own “Stolen Valour” Law just like our cousins over the pond did in 2006 with their Stolen Valour act 2005.
It should now be an unlawful act addressing the unauthorized wear, manufacture, or sale of any military decorations and medals.
Although in comparison to the actual number of True Veterans within the UK, it is a minuscule percentage.
But it needs to be addressed

Will this really make a difference?
The Armed Forces and Veterans Communities have heard it all before only to realise it’s simply worth “Jack” and nothing more than false promises from Politicians who don’t really care…. (Time will tell)…

New legal powers to support Armed Forces families and Veterans The MOD has backed a new legal Duty that supports Armed Forces personnel, their families and Veterans.

I have met Brian and had a very lengthy chat regarding his son Shane.
Brian is the reason we at Plymouth & South West Veterans are in the process of organising an annual fishing competition in his sons honour to raise funds for such a worthy cause….

Plymouth couple felt like 'zombies' after losing son to cancer "The first six or seven months after we lost Shane we were walking around like zombies, we were just existing"

Psychological damage among officers heightened by bad working conditions – study High levels of trauma-related mental health disorders across UK police forces are partly the result of bad working conditions such as having too

Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority.
Remember - Respect - Support 🌺

Purposes for processing The Armed forces Covenant is a promise by the Nation that those who serve or have served and their families are treated fairly. The Armed Forces Covenant is a part of the NHS Constitution. In relation to healthcare the Covenant states that the Armed Forces Community should enjoy the same standard of, and access to, healthcare as that received by any other UK citizen in the area they live and that Veterans should receive priority treatment where it relates to a condition that results from their service in the Armed Forces, subject to clinical need....

Armed forces and families health care Purposes for processing The Armed forces Covenant is a promise by the Nation that those who serve or have served and their families are treated fairly. The Armed Forces Covenant is a part of the NH…

In his seminal 2004 paper, clinical psychologist George Bonanno argued for a broader conceptualization of stress responding. Defining resilience as the ability of people who have experienced a highly life-threatening or traumatic event to maintain relatively stable, healthy levels of psychological and physical functioning, Bonanno reviewed a wealth of studies showing that resilience is actually common, that it is not the same as the simple absence of psychopathology, and that it can be attained through multiple, sometimes unexpected, routes....

Post-Traumatic Growth: Finding Meaning and Creativity in AdversityResilience and strength can often be attained through unexpected routes In his seminal 2004 paper, clinical psychologist George Bonanno argued for a broader conceptualization of stress responding. Defining resilience as the ability of people who have experienced a high…