An East Yorkshire charity that runs a monthly meet-up for the Armed Forces community in Hornsea has won the King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Craig Leach, chairman of trustees of Military Assistance Social Hub (MASH), said the group, which meets at the Hornsea Ex-Servicemen’s Club, was “really going strong”.
The charity’s volunteers support veterans, serving personnel and reservists, as well as their families, carers and bereaved partners.
Craig said: “When we started MASH, we never imagined that one day we would be receiving an award from His Majesty the King. We simply knew there were people within our Armed Forces community who needed somewhere to turn, and we wanted to do something about it.
“To now receive the highest award a voluntary group can achieve is incredibly humbling.”
MASH runs more than 28 sessions a month across Bridlington, Beverley, Hornsea, Leven and Leconfield, including at the Defence School of Transport.
Weekly community lunches bring together older veterans, spouses and bereaved partners, while activities for serving families regularly draw about 50 people. Some larger events have attracted more than 70.
The charity calls its approach “conversations through activities”. It said one veteran living with post-traumatic stress disorder gained the confidence to accept talking therapy after building trust through its Bait, Banter & Connection fishing programme.
Volunteers help with benefits claims and paperwork, support people facing homelessness and provide emergency help with food and energy costs. The charity’s Bridlington hub also provides a private consultation room where people can speak to specialist services.
“Sometimes the difference between someone continuing to struggle alone and finally accepting help is simply having somebody they trust sitting beside them,” Mr Leach said. “That is what our volunteers make possible. And that is why this award means so much.”
The Hornsea Hub holds its monthly social from 10am to 11.30am on the first Friday of each month at the Ex-Servicemen’s Club in Back Southgate.
