Members have helped each other since the first days of Blesma. This ethos lies at the very heart of what we do. We can apply our knowledge of members’ shared experiences; of traumatic injury, recuperation, and eventual stability. We provide several ways for our members to meet, including through our activities programme, Blesma brunches, members’ weekend, branch meetings and more.

Members being in touch with one another is the foundation of Blesma, but in our modern world it is not always easy or convenient for us to take the time out to meet. To ensure all our members find it easy to stay connected to each other, and the association, Blesma has a variety of print publications, social media channels, and even an app to stay in touch and informed.

Blesma works closely with the health services across the United Kingdom to ensure that the latest advances in the relevant medical fields are converted into practical solutions to benefit all our members. Our support officers are ideally placed to help you get the best service possible, and we have a dedicated in-house prosthetics expert to assist directly with members’ prosthetics issues. Blesma is a specialist charity but recognises the holistic needs of members and, where necessary, can put you in touch with specialist agencies and charities that offer bespoke support.

We are experts in the War Pension and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS), as well as a range of other allowances. Our team of support officers can give advice and assistance on applications for entitlements and continue to aid our members and widows at War Pension Tribunals and AFCS Hearings. 

We offer our members financial assistance with the additional costs and hardships of disability. We regularly contribute to the provision of wheelchairs, stair lifts, and home and garden adaptations so members can remain mobile and live independently in their own homes for as long as possible. Our aim is to ensure that all our Members can reach their full potential and live with purpose, so we offer opportunities such as the Making Generation R programme, which enables members to gain public speaking skills and turn their inspiring life stories into employment opportunities.

Staying active and socially engaged after injury is essential to continued health and wellbeing. Our comprehensive range of activities is designed to empower and inspire our members, and get them socializing. There’s more than one event in the calendar for every taste, level, age and ability – from beginner to serious adventurer – spanning the cerebral to the physically challenging.

Blesma believes prosthetics and disabled provision should meet the needs of every member. Our advocacy networking to local and national representatives ensures this happens. We aim to correct anomalies, deficiencies and unfairness. We speak up for our members and campaign where necessary.

Whether it be welfare or activities, the opportunity to assist a fellow member can be very rewarding. We encourage our members to take the lead in planning and delivering local activities, sharing their passions and knowledge with one another.

Our support and outreach officers will visit or call you to check in, but you can always get in touch with our head office in Chelmsford, too. We place great emphasis on caring, listening and striving to learn more, never being patronising and always putting members’ needs above everything else.