Jerome Church

Amputee and Member & General Secretary

Making light of his injuries, Jerome says that he first came across BLESMA ‘whilst languishing in a military hospital bed contemplating the changed life ahead a few weeks after being injured.’ This humour is typical of Jerome and the many service men who have lost limbs whilst serving their country.

Kevin Woodford

Amputee and Member

Kevin was born in Nottingham in 1960 and completed an apprenticeship in bricklaying after leaving school at the age of 16. After careful consideration he decided to pursue a career in the British Armed Forces and, at the age of 21, joined the Royal Marines. Upon completing his training at Lympstone, Devon he was posted to Arbroath, Scotland where he joined 45 Commando.

Joe Davies

Amputee and Member

Joe joined the Territorial Army in 1932 and served with the Royal Artillery in Llandudno, North Wales, as war broke out he was drafted in to the regulars and soon saw active service.

Jacqui Longden

Home Manager, Blackpool

As a child growing up in Blackpool, Jacqui was well aware that the large building on Lytham Road was the BLESMA Home. She remembers the summer garden parties, the marquee, the bands and the uniforms, none of which being a common sight in her seaside hometown. Jacqui remembers hundreds of people in the grounds all with a common purpose; to support deserving British limbless ex-service men and women.

Meet Matt Woollard

Amputee and Member

After joining the Army with the 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment, in November 2005 it was with a great sense of adventure that Matt found himself serving his country in Afghanistan on Operation Herrick in 2007.

Whilst out on patrol with his unit on the morning of 3 May, a year after joining up, Matt stepped on an anti personnel mine. He suffered several injuries, one of which resulted in him losing his right leg below knee.

Stephen Bodham

Amputee and Member

Excited but a little apprehensive, Stephen enlisted into the Royal Artillery in 1970, a young 17 year old who was to embark on a military career.

He spent the next 14 years in various postings and in 1984 found himself with 50th Missile Regiment Royal Artillery. It was on a fateful day in November 1984, travelling from Sennelager to Minden by motorcycle that he was involved in a traffic accident.

Ted Johnson

Amputee and Member

After leaving school Ted started an apprenticeship as an electrical mechanical engineer but he became disillusioned and decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and to join the Army. Ted became a Company Sergeant Major in the Army Cadets and it became apparent that there was only one regiment for him, the Parachute Regiment.