Former RAF Lossiemouth reservist receives award for services to veteran support charity

A former RAF Lossiemouth reservist has been rewarded for her services to a veteran charity.

Lottie Bethell, 42, lives in the town with her RAF husband, two children, pet dog and hamster after previously serving in the RAF Lossiemouth reserves.

Over the past four years, Mrs Bethell has been working as a regional casework manager  for SSAFA, a charity which supports veterans and their families, including her own.

‘I wanted to give something back’

Now, she has won the the charity’s Regional Recognition Award, the first of its kind, for supporting the lives of forces families in the area.

She said: “I started volunteering for SSAFA after my family received support from the SSAFA RAF Personal Support and social work service staff at Lossiemouth after a move with the military that was particularly unsettling for my children.

“Simply, I wanted to give something back to SSAFA as a way of saying ‘thank you’ for the help we received.

If you are a member of the Armed Forces, a veteran, or a family member facing problems, contact @SSAFA's Forcesline. We're independent of the chain of command. We won't judge, we'll listen, and we'll help.

📱 0800 260 6767
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— SSAFA (@SSAFA) February 20, 2023

“I truly believe that SSAFA’s volunteers are the most dedicated and I am in awe of their unwavering support to our clients.

“To be a part of this organisation gives me immense pride and I am humbled that in the face of so many dedicated volunteers and staff I have been chosen to receive such an award; I could choose many, many other equally worthy recipients.

‘Life-saving work’

Graham Meacher, SSAFA’s Scotland Regional Chair, said: “This new Regional Recognition Award acknowledges those who have added significant value.

“The work they carry out and subsequent improvement to lives of veterans, serving personnel, and their families is immeasurable, life changing, and in some cases life saving.

“Generally managing large caseloads, working under pressure, and assisting – with compassion and humour – individuals often experiencing in the most trying of circumstances, the recipients of the Regional Recognition Award embody all that is good about SSAFA.”