AS an ambassador for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, I am proudly supporting its Missed Moments campaign.
The campaign aims to highlight the unique challenges faced by military families in Yorkshire and the impact that serving has on the whole family.
SSAFA recently surveyed Armed Forces families, both past and present, and found that 56 per cent have been apart for once-in-a-lifetime events, like the birth of a child or the funeral of a loved-one, due to service or deployment.
Military deployment can be for up to 10 months.
SSAFA provides lifelong support to the whole Armed Forces community, understanding the complex nature of military service and the effect it can have on the wider family.
The charity seeks to support the whole family, from help with school runs and hospital appointments to providing support in time of financial or emotional need.
Most of my close friends are in the Armed Forces and I always seem to have someone away from home, whether that’s in places like Iraq or Afghanistan or closer to home helping with the flood relief.
Thankfully with modern military technology, we can at least keep in touch for most of the time.
I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for families in the past.
To find out how you can support SSAFA and the Armed Forces family, please visit ssafa.org.uk/donate
Antony Cotton,
SSAFA ambassador and Coronation Street actor,
SSAFA,
St Dunstan’s Hill, London
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