Are we worth fighting for?
Is it just me that can see a solution to the biggest problem we have in our community, where to find help when you need it now. How many of the 38 would still be here now if they had known exactly where to get help when they needed it most and not relying on 50-100 comments on a facebook group, each one naming a different support group and often taking 2-3 hours before it's even allowed by the admins.
When and if you decide to take any of the advice given and finally take the courage to message them, for it only to turn out they are based in portsmouth and you are in Glasgow. So now what do you do? Do you wait untill someone drives all the way up there to collect you and take you back to Portsmouth or do you try and remember all the other recommendations and try again. If like any of you that are in multiple veteran groups you will have seen what I've just mentioned above in more than one and often repeated in other groups your in. Take notice next time at one of these posts and look at it from the Veterans points of view, would you know who to pick when the black dog came visiting?
Now if you knew exactly where to go to when that time came and could have help with you within 1 hour, do you think we would still see these figures?
I have offered this solution to nearly all of the well known veteran networks so far but sadly most are too wrapped up in their own little networks that they are failing to see the bigger picture. Some of the smaller lesser known support groups have taken the step forward and have already proven that the system works and BENEFITS THOSE that we all set up to support in the first place.
If you knew that at a click of a button you could find all the help and support you needed in your own county or town, charity help, 24 hour emergency links, breakfast clubs and hubs, wives clubs, forces brat clubs, social media groups. You can start up your groups or join some of the others already available such as county groups, self help techniques, Squaddie humour. It doesnt mean you have to give up anything but it would require you to make use of the neutral platform as a central message board for this to work.
The reason for this is, as you know the majority of veteran support groups are closed, this means if you are not a member you will not see any posts from them or it often comes up with no content available. Even if you are a member, a lot of people still do not know that you have to copy the text to share anything needed.
By using our system any comments made asking for help would be posted exactly where its needed and can be picked up by any of the supporting networks within that county, if they cant manage between them then you could contact those within your region, all the way up to the whole of the UK if needed and where it currently is on facebook. Dont get me wrong some of you do fantastic work but why spend unnecessary time on the roads, why use only your own funds?
By working together under one roof, imagine how many problems would this resolve.
This is one of the reasons I'm writing this blog post so please share far and wide. How many times have you seen posts saying we need to work together, enough is enough, twas, one brotherhood, well where are you all? If you say who you say you are and support those who need it most then do as you say.
It often feels like I'm wasting my time when it's only me and a handful of others that can see this solution and why I often wonder is this really worth fighting for.
Like I said if we dont know about you and which county you support how is a veteran needing help supposed to know where to go too. We just need for you to know about us and vice versa so we know where to send help when needed.
I'm hoping that you will all prove me wrong and that we truly are a community worth fighting for or are we just going to keep writing RIP on future posts.
