Bracknell

The Mayor of the Borough of Bracknell Forest has announced that her chosen charity will help those who have served or continue to serve in the armed forces.

Cllr Mrs Gill Birch has chosen to support the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) Forces Help during her mayoral term, which runs until May 2008.

Cllr Mrs Birch announced her chosen charity at a meeting of full Bracknell Council last night (Wednesday) where representatives from SSAFA Forces Help were on hand to thank her for her pledge of support.

SSAFA Forces Help is the leading national charity committed to helping and supporting those who serve in the armed forces, those who have served and the families of both.

Funds raised will go to the local branch where it will be used to support local people through a network of trained volunteers. The charity provides a reliable, caring and trusted service, having helped 102 families last year in this area, offering financial assistance, emotional support and a wide range of services to those in need.

To help raise funds for SSAFA Forces Help Bracknell Cllr Mrs Birch will be organising and attending several events in the borough this year including a concert in November, a charity collection day at The Meadows in Sandhurst on Saturday, December 8, and a spring fundraiser next year.

Cllr Mrs Birch, said: "SSAFA Forces Help is a charity that provides a lot of help and support both emotionally and financially to people who have served in our armed services and those who continue to serve. It also supports their families through very difficult times of emotional strain and financial difficulty.

"I've chosen to support this very worthy charity because it is not well known and I hope to raise the profile of it so the wonderful work they do is appreciated and perhaps people who could benefit from their support will learn about them and be helped.

"I will be attending several fundraisers later this year for SSAFA Forces Help and look forward to meeting the volunteers who keep the charity functioning. I hope the generosity the people of Bracknell Forest have shown in previous years to help the Mayor's charity will continue throughout my Mayoral term so we can give SSAFA Forces Help a real boost."

Bracknell Forest Borough Council