A charity much admired by Frost is Forces Support which supports families who have lost a loved one in Afghanistan. The brilliant news is that to coincide with The Queen’s Birthday, they have been awarded with the prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise 2016 in the Innovation Category, for their innovative approach to supporting bereaved military families.
Founded by father and son, Bill and Billy McCance, the charity has a national support team helping about 80 families a year, and is supported by 22 shops throughout Britain. It is such a simple idea, isn’t it, to provide families with Remembrance areas, children’s play areas, and playrooms, garden and household maintenance when they are reeling with grief. It is simple yes, but inspired. Just imagine hearing the news that your husband or father has been killed and you need to move from a quarter into a new house when you are bereft and feeling helpless. Or if it is your son… Where can you go for solace?
Forces Support helps to ease the way along the rocky path of grief and adjustment. It creates a peaceful area, or decorates a house so that is fit to live in.
The charity funds the support they give through the profits from their furniture shops, making the charity self-sufficient and sustainable, and support also comes from donations.
This award is utterly deserved, and Bill and Billy, and all the builders, maintenance personnel and apprentices who help the families of service personnel should feel enormously proud of their efforts. Wonderful thought the Award is, work, of course, will continue unabated, as they have a waiting list of 8 months and more will be added to this, with each passing day.
There is no rest for Forces Support, because the need continues.
