Memorandum from the Forces Helpline
A friend and I have recently started a Website
to help members of the armed forces reach people who can help
them in cases of bullying and intimidation etc. If you could look
at the site you will see what we hope to achieve as it will be
a very important help line to all those in need. We know SAFFA
are there and they do a fantastic job but in all honesty as a
soldiers our self's we know it to be very difficult to go to these
origination because they have ex-rankers etc. My aim is to bring
together all the right services, organisations and links to carry
this out.
Now why I have contacted you, because we are
trying to do the right thing here for the Armed Forces and we
are just getting knocked back we asked the Soldier magazine
for an article and they agreed but then Maj Will Mackinlay sent
us an email not only to us but the whole military of the advertising
(BSBF, Soldier magazine Etc). I joined the Army in 1978 I went
through the bullying and harassment. I thought they would be pleased
that there are people like Ged and myself that are willing to
give up our time and money to do something to help them. Instead
I feel really let down I gave the best years of my life to the
army and to get treated like this well.
I will not give up I intend to carry on and
help these people with the forces help or NOT. I was put on this
earth to help my fellow man/woman and that's what I intend to
do.
I wrote to The Rt Hon Geoff Hoon and the Rt
Hon Adam Ingram. I was not happy that he would not support us
please can you tell me what they are scared of. All we want to
do is help I am disabled and was medically discharge from the
Army in 2001, I lost everything. I used to be a butler earning
thirty thousand a year, they took that from me ruined my career
ruined my children's lives.
We are doing a documentary for Sky TV on 9 September
and we will be letting the public know who is supporting us and
who hasn't for example British Legion the Royal Benevolent fund.
The two main organisations who I thought would support us and
help us with funding, well they would not even write or telephone
us—how unprofessional. As you can see I am rather cross
with this—we love the forces and would not do anything to
discredit them. Sometimes I wish I wasn't British at all.
Malcolm Thorn
Ged Walton
August 2004
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