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New Day Herald

A Trust for New Beginnings

 


Dorinda Wolfe Murray shares about service that she is involved with that is dear to her heart.

FirstLight Trust was so named because first light is the name given to the time when the sun peeps over the horizon and those on watch have survived another night. It is a name that resonates for those who stand guard over others, and for those whose thoughts and minds are troubled with alcohol, drugs and depression. Seeing the first light of day denotes survival and the promise of the chance of a new beginning.

And that is what this charity does; it ‘sees people’ no matter what challenging problems and behaviour they have. Veterans of the Armed Forces and Emergency Services are often loathe to ask for assistance. And most importantly many of them have no idea where to find it. This despite the plethora of charities that inhabit and support the Armed Forces sector. For many of those who access our help, that portal on the street is literally a life saver. The Sharpe’s cafes that sit within our hubs are friendly, welcoming places open to all. Decorated in soft greens and creams, and serving awesome coffee (we have unofficially been given the status of ‘best coffee’ in the towns we are currently based in) and tea and home baked cakes, Sharpe’s cafes deliver their own brand of magic. There are books piled high on the tables; the tables and chairs are often individual in style; you can buy the china you drink out of; there is no background music, just the sound of people in conversation and the kettle and coffee machine plying their trade.

And of course we have our wondrous colleagues who are all trained, welcoming and well versed in the art of connecting. And that is what FirstLight is about. Many woes and tales can be rectified and told over a mug of tea, and those that cannot we can take to the next stage. When asked, we can undertake assessments, and then go about getting the necessary assistance – from food through to funerals, via therapies, support for mental health issues, housing, employment, we cover virtually anything and everything that comes our way. And how… well by working with what is already there – the statutory services, the amazing work that others carry out. Co-operation and collaboration produce extraordinary results; and if the solution to the problem is not there, then we aim to find it and fund it, if necessary.

And all of this is carried out in the locality in which the veteran and their families live. Support is not effective support when delivered in isolation; it needs to be delivered where people live, within their communities where the problems and the solutions so often exist.

FirstLight’s aim is to create a network of around 30 of these hubs within the UK – we are already well on the way and we have literally changed hundreds of veterans lives. It is amazing what a mug of tea can do when served with empathy and a sense of humour!

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