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Formation | 1932 |
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Type | British military support charity |
Purpose | Supporting wounded and limbless British Armed Forces servicemen and women |
Headquarters | Chelmsford, Essex |
Location |
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Region served | United Kingdom |
Chief Executive Officer | Vivienne Buck CBE |
Website | www.blesma.org |
Formerly called | British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association |
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans (formerly known as the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association) is a British charity that helps all serving and ex-Service men and women who have lost limbs, or lost the use of limbs or eyes, to rebuild their lives by providing rehabilitation activities and welfare support. It operates throughout the United Kingdom and is a registered charity.
In the immediate aftermath of WW1, limbless men came together for their treatments and fittings, and there developed a spirit of kinship amongst them, arising from their common disabilities and shared experiences. The crutch, the walking stick, the empty sleeve, served as an introduction to friends who had met with similar misfortunes in battle. The spirit of comradeship which had existed in the trenches was kept alive amongst them.
It was during this time that limbless men gathered to discuss their problems and the possibility of some action to improve their conditions.
The first such group was in Glasgow, and in 1921 they created the first branch of the Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association. Soon groups formed in Edinburgh, Dundee, Hamilton and Aberdeen. Officers of the Scottish LESMA established contact with limbless ex-Servicemen in the North of England, and in 1929, branches were formed in Manchester, Leeds, Hull, Burnley, Accrington, Southport, Oldham, Bradford, Halifax and Wigan.
The English branches, however, became dissatisfied with Scottish control and asked for a proper constitution to provide for the democratic election of officers and an executive council. The English branches convened a round table meeting in Leeds in 1931 where it was decided to form the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association, with the first Annual Conference being held in Manchester in 1932.
It was not until the commencement of World War II that branches formed in the South of England but by the end of the war there were 43 groups.
The number of branches reached their peak in the mid-1950s when there were a total of 124. As the number of surviving veterans from World War I declined, so did the number of branches. This trend continued with the passing of the World War II generation, and today 9 branches remain.
Eligibility. To be eligible for Membership, a person must have served in any arm of Her Majesty's Armed Forces, regular or reserve and have suffered a life-changing injury – either loss of limb or loss of use of limb, eyesight, hearing or speech. The injury could have been sustained during or after Service, and can be as a direct result of Service or not.
If a person has lost a limb in service or has lost the use of limbs, suffered permanent loss of speech, hearing, or sight whilst serving or as a result of service in any branch of Her Majesty's Forces or Auxiliary Forces they may be eligible for Membership.
For example:
Also eligible are those of civilian status who lose a limb, or the loss of use of a limb, or an eye as a result of War Service or enemy or terrorist action against HM Forces with which those of civilian status are employed, or volunteer, to provide direct support.
Those who think they may be eligible for Blesma Membership can find out more and apply online. [1]
Blesma offers a wide range of support to Members and their families, including:
Blesma is governed by a board of trustees consisting of industry experts and Members of the charity. The board of trustees is chaired by Ed Davis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Davis_(Royal_Marines_officer)
Blesma supports its Members through nine Regional Blesma Support Officers (BSOs) based across the UK, who provide welfare support and advice on a range of issues from benefits to isolation by conducting home visits. The BSOs are supported by Outreach Officers who engage with local communities and Members to keep them connected and to raise the profile of the charity. There is also a Prosthetics Support Officer whose role is specifically to do with assisting Members with their prosthetics or other mobility requirements. The Prosthetics BSO can advocate on behalf of a Member at their limb centre or on the Veterans Prosthetics Panel, for example, and make sure they are getting a good level of support and representation at the required level.
The charity's main office is based in Chelmsford.
Title changed to Chief Executive from 2013
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Media related to Blesma, The Limbless Veterans at Wikimedia Commons