LEAVING the armed forces can be a daunting prospect for any serving personnel, as they will have to adjust to the civilian world.

But they do not have to face it alone, as there are many volunteers out there ready and waiting to help armed forces personnel and veterans with whatever they are needing.

Denzil Connick, 63 from Blackwood, has been volunteering for the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) in its Caerphilly county division for the past 26 years.

Mr Connick has a military background as he explains: “I served with 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment. I was wounded in the Falklands and medically discharged. SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, supported me when I was discharged, which was a great help to me personally.

“I was so inspired by my own personal experience as a beneficiary that I decided to help others in need by volunteering for SSAFA.”

Mr Connick began volunteering in 1994 and is a caseworker for SSAFA Caerphilly county division.

Caseworkers visit clients to work out what type of help they need and find the right support for the client and ensure they are able to access it.

That can be anything from funds for special equipment to help live with disabilities, adapting a property to allow a client to remain at home, or funds for a rental deposit, but this is not an exhaustive list.

SSAFA also signposts clients to local specialist services for professional advice on varied subjects including benefits, housing, mental health and finding work.

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Mr Connick said: “Casework is varied, no two days are the same as a volunteer caseworker. But one of the best things is when you know you have impacted or changed a beneficiary’s life.

"Every successful outcome gives me a ‘buzz’. Sometimes a beneficiary will tell me that my help has changed their life immeasurably at a time when they were at ‘rock bottom’ - that makes me very proud.”

Mr Connick was also able to identify through his volunteering work that there was a need for a unique service association to support Falklands War veterans and their families.

“I put the idea forward to other veterans and Lt Col Simon Brewis, who was the then Controller of the South Atlantic Fund, and the South Atlantic Medal Association 1982 (SAMA 82) was inaugurated in April 1997.

“Without my experience at SSAFA, I don’t think that would’ve happened. SSAFA gave me the knowledge and skills to be able to set up the association which is now a flourishing and well-respected service charity.”

If you would like to find out more about becoming a SSAFA caseworker, visit www.ssafa.org.uk/volunteer or contact SSAFA Gwent on 01633 246269.