THE MOD has announced that, after 51 years of service, SSAFA will no longer be providing social work services in British Forces Germany.

Those who have served there will remember the help and advice that the SSAFA sisters gave to mothers and families.

David Murray, chief executive of SSAFA, issued a statement in response to the news: “SSAFA has been commissioned by the MOD to provide professional social work services to British Forces and their families serving in Germany for 51 years.

"We were therefore surprised to learn that SSAFA would not be the chosen provider, when the contract recently came up for renewal and that the contract had been awarded to a commercial supplier.

"This is particularly disappointing as we have always re-invested the profits from our MOD contracts to support members of the Armed Forces and their families – something that other suppliers will not do.”

I was in Germany last week to visit 1 PWRR, who are returning to Bulford in a few years, and listened to the families comment on the huge cuts that have been made to the support they receive in advance of the withdrawal.

These cuts have earned an apology from CGS, General Peter Wall, who, in a recent visit to Germany, said that they were too quick and too deep.