UNIT WELFARE OFFICER INTRODUCTION

OUR AIM

To provide a confidential welfare support service that is responsive to the needs of soldiers, families and the chain of command, fulfils statutory requirements and helps to maintain the operational effectiveness of service personnel within the Regiment.

To meet this aim The Welsh Guards Welfare Office will provide primary support to soldiers and their families to help alleviate the problems associated with military service.

HOW CAN WE HELP?

There are five key work areas for the Unit Welfare Office:

1. Aiding Social Integration - To help individuals and families settle into their new surroundings.

2. Providing a helping service - UWO staff are not counsellors.  Netherless, by applying appropriate training coupled with experience gained within and during our military careers our staff can provide a confidential and helpful support service.

3. Providing information about the Army and Unit - Keeping our families informed of what is going on in the Army and the Unit.

4. Supporting individuals and spouses during periods of seperation - Separation from familiar locations, families of origin, spouses, partners and children is an inevitable feature of Army life. The UWO plays a critical role in enabling individuals and families to manage this seperation in the best possible way.

5. Liaising with other Army and associated agencies - The key agency for the UWO is the Army Welfare Service (AWS). However we also liaise with other agencies:

• Army Welfare Service - Local Welfare and Social Services Advice Centres / Local Medical Centres.
• Defence Housing Executive (DHE) - Hand over / Take over of service family accommodation.
• Housing - Local Housing Authorities associations.
• UK Social Welfare Agencies - Department of Social Security, Social Services, Probation Services etc.
• Child Support Agency (CSA) - Forces Focal Point.
• Benefits - Working Families Tax Credit, Child Benefit, Sure Start Maternity Grant etc.
• Service Children's Education - Department of Education - Department and Emloyment, Local Education authorities, Local Schools etc.
• Immigration and Nationality Department - Visa's and Nationality information.
• Citizens Advice Bureau.

UNIT WELFARE TEAM

The team is vastly experienced with many years service in the Welsh Guards, we have two offices, one for the families withn the married quarter area and another in camp for the single serving soldiers. Remember we provide for all, single serving soldiers, single parents and married couples. If we don't know the answers we know someone who does!

CAPTAIN DARREN PRIDMORE

Joined the Welsh Guards in August 1986 as a Junior Leader at the Guards Depot. Following this he served in Germany, Belize, Kenya, Northern Ireland, Canada and America. Folowing a tour as a Colour Sergeant Platoon Commander at Army Training Regiment Bassingbourne, he was a Company Sergeant Major on Operation TELIC 5 in Iraq with Security Sector Reform Company and then the Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant in Bosnia. He was the Regimental Sergeant Major of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and took part in several Queen's Birthday Parades. His most recent tour was as a Mentor to the Afghan National Army in the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team role in Afghanistan during the summer of 2008.

COLOUR SERGEANT "JIFFY MYERS"

Joined the Welsh Guards in 1990 aged 16 as a Junior Leader at the Guards Depot in Pirbright. After a short tour of public duties he was posted to Northern Ireland for a two and a half year tour as a team commander. He has also completed two further six month tours of the province and also a tour of Bosnia. He has served as a rifleman, sniper and for almost ten years he was a Mortar Fire Controller. He has been on exercise in Canada, America and Germany. Jiffy has been in the welfare office since 2004 and has acted as the welfare officer for the tour of Iraq, Bosnia and Kosovo he has also coordinated two unit moves.

CONTACT US

E-Mail the welfare office for more information:

welshguardswelfare@hotmail.co.uk