Birmingham military charity receives national award for supporting soldiers

Fisher House, a ‘home away from home’ for military patients and their families on the site of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, has received national recognition for its work supporting the brave men and women of the Armed Forces.

On Wednesday 14 December, national newspaper The Sun hosted its ninth annual Military Awards – affectionately called The Millies – as a salute to Britain’s amazing Armed Forces. Fisher House was winner of the Support to the Armed Forces category, for its work providing accommodation to the families of injured and ill servicemen and women, both active and veteran.

The house is an 18-bedroom property on the site of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, which is home to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine and is the receiving hospital for all UK military personnel when they are injured or taken ill anywhere around the world. Fisher House enables the loved ones of military patients to stay close by while they receive treatment on the wards, often over a long period of time, with the longest-ever resident living there for 18 months while her husband was critically ill in hospital. You can read more about the importance of Fisher House here.

Also nominated was fellow military charity Tickets for Troops, which provides free tickets for servicemen and women to attend sporting, music and comedy events.

The Military Awards took place in London and were attended by celebrities including Jeremy Clarkson, Duncan Bannatyne, Jamie Vardy and Katie Piper. Representing Fisher House were House Manager Patrick Hogan and Patient Advocate Dave Watson, along with QEHB Charity’s Head of Fundraising Justine Davy, and Chair of Trustees Brian Hanson. QEHB Charity runs, owns and raises funds for Fisher House.

Justine said: “We are absolutely overwhelmed and greatly honoured to receive this award in recognition of the important work done at Fisher House. The house itself is beautiful, but it is the community that is built between the staff and the families who stay there that truly makes it such an invaluable source of support to so many. Keeping families together in times of great stress and change is of the utmost importance, especially when the nature of your injury means you have a long hospital stay, potentially very far from home.”

For more information or to donate to Fisher House, please go to www.fisherhouseuk.org