Dave is a serving soldier based in Tidworth. When he and his wife Elaine took six young nephews and nieces into their care, they needed financial help. Working with our partner charity, SSAFA the Armed Forces Charity, the Army Benevolent Fund helped the family to make a happy home for everyone.

Dave grew up in Liverpool and wanted to join the Army from an early age. In 1998, he joined the Irish Guards’, serving in Warrior armoured vehicle crews, including in Germany and Kosovo. In 2002, he decided to leave the regular Army for a more settled family life. Since he was an Army Reserve, he was called to serve in Iraq as a Warrior gunner with the Royal Regiment of Wales (now The Royal Welsh).

In 2006, Dave and his family realised they missed Army life, and he re-joined as a regular with the Royal Welsh, serving again in Iraq and later Afghanistan. Dave joined the Small Arms School Corps in 2015 and, since 2019, has been a Warrant Officer Class Two. He now advises on Armoured Tactics within Brigades.

Until two years ago, Dave and his wife Elaine had been living in Tidworth.  They learned that six young nephews and nieces were going to be taken into care, so they took them into their home. Dave says: “Our daughter and granddaughter and our son have moved back into the family home to help us.” Our partners, SSAFA , assisted the family and our charity awarded £4,000 towards white and brown goods and help with the children’s needs.

SSAFA welfare worker, Ron Richardson, praised Dave and Elaine: “I have known the family since September 2022 and initially the children were shy, reserved and needed nurturing. Now I see happy, lively, well-mannered children. The hardest part of my role was to get Dave to ask for anything for his family.”

Dave says: “I used all our savings and did not know where to go. Everything we had to buy we needed six of, including car seats, beds and clothes. Without SSAFA and Ron’s assistance, ABF and Regimental Associations, I don’t know what we would have done. ABF has been amazing and we could not have had a happy family in our home without your support. Thank you.”