In Birmingham we have two very large hospitals that are world leaders in Military Medicine, particularly burns and skeletal re- construction as well a training for military medics.Most of the wounded soldiers brought back from Iraq & Afghanistan or anywhere else usually come straight to Selly Oak until they are well enough to go home.
They come to civilian hospitals because Tony Blair closed most of the military hospitals. At one time, the cheapskate government made no additional provision for them, they were put in wards with the public. Birmingham has a huge muslim population, who in the main are a credit to our city, but as usual amongst them are the idiots. After several incidents when wounded soldiers were verbally abused by some of the muslim visitors, the government told the hospital to open a ward just for them - they didn't pay for it, just told them to do it.
There is an organisation called 'The British Legion' who are supposed to 'look after' servicemen and their families. Any person who has received even one pay check from any armed service qualifies for life membership.
There is also a local group of people, mainly vet's and their families who organise 'Troop Aid' a sort of 'Band Aid' but to raise money to buy the soldiers the little comforts while they are in hospital and even provide help for transport and accommodation for wives and kids to visit.
All they ask is for a venue and entertainers to do their act for free. They take no money and their accounts are freely available for inspection. They do not allow anyone to bring in beer so the club makes a handsome few quid from the evening over the bar.
Now they had one of these benefit nights at the Royal British Legion Club near here (about 3 miles from the hospitals) and raised a lot of money (and spent a lot of money over the bar). One donation from a local restaurant was a cold buffet for a couple of hundred people that was included in the ticket price.
When the trucks turned up to deliver - wait for it - The Royal British Legion turned them away as they said they did their own food and it would ruin their trade if they allowed them to bring it in !
As Secretary of our Social Club, it gives me great pleasure in letting them have our concert room for free and they can bring as much food as they want. I was going to suggest that we made a further donation but they declined, saying that it would be against the spirit of the event and we would soon begin to tire if they had frequent events. This way 'every one's a winner'.
