What Is a Squaddie Box – Squaddie Box (CIC)
Squaddie Box cic provides secure physical mailboxes placed at trusted community locations like GP surgeries, service clubs, and shelters. Each box uses the host organisation’s address to receive mail via the normal postal service, ensuring mail is safely delivered to a reliable local point.
Crawley railway station already has good links with the military veterans organisations in the area, having hosted Remembrance Day events and commemorative installations.
Greater Thameslink Railway (GTR) has a dedicated armed forces network with a named point of contact. In addition, several of the local maintenance team have a military or blue light services background, and continue help serving or former associates through various veterans organisations.
Through a chance meeting, it was agreed that, if a suitable location and funding could be found, Crawley railway station would be an ideal location for a Squaddie mailbox – the first one across the GTR network.
At an event on Worthing promenade, Martin and Natalie Parker met Dean Wormleighton, who is the creator and founder of the Squaddie box initiative.
Natalie, who is part of GTR’s Horsham Maintenance Team, made the introductions between him and GTR.
Crawley station already has good links with the veterans support organisations in the area, with a Remembrance memorial having been unveiled in the bookings hall the previous November.
A suitable location was identified at Crawley station for the squaddie mailbox to be installed. It needed to be easy to locate and access, without the need to go through the ticket gateline, well lit and safe.
The Squaddie Box, having been installed by GTR maintenance team, was unveiled at a ceremony on Wednesday 24th July. The event was attended by GTR Armed Forces Network, members of the Sikh Community, Sussex Police Officers, West Sussex and Crawley Borough Councillors, Arun Valley Line Chair Bob Lanzer and Community Development Officer Rowena Tyler.
A key for one of the mailboxes was handed over to a veteran who served in the British Army for 13 years before becoming homeless. Without a permanent address, it is extremely difficult to obtain services and benefits to which he is entitled. This will make a world of difference to him and future users of this initiative.
Natalie Parker was given a certificate of recognition from the Squaddiebox founder, for her efforts in making introductions and achieving a successful installation, the first at a GTR managed railway station.
GTR’s Armed Forces Network contributed £1,000 toward the scheme.
Developing partnerships is an essential to solving problems, so today was a culmination of hard work & resilience bringing together GTR Thames link Railways Squaddie Box and GTR Technologies who have built our Mailboxes for homeless veterans along with the local Police, and Sikh Community who have kindly offered to feed homeless veterans in the Crawley area and all of our support staff with one of our Veterans now able to access services to get him off the streets and into paid employment, sometimes you just need a helping hand or guidance to bring you back from the brink not just a hand out but real time help from people who have lived experience