With the prospect of war in the Gulf growing ever more likely, RICHARD SHIELDS looks at the problems confronting former members of the services who have fought for our country in previous conflicts and how anyone with commitment and a little spare time on their hands can help them overcome these difficulties.

AS Britain's armed forces gear up for possible conflict in Iraq, the Herefordshire branch of a national charity dedicated to helping serving and ex-service men and women is seeking volunteers.

The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association - Forces Help - SSAFA Forces Help - is looking for more caseworkers, especially in Hereford city, to deal with a wide variety of problems faced by its clients.

At present the county branch has 51 volunteers, of which 27 are caseworkers - the organisation's 'front-line troops'. They deal with more than 100 cases a year, and make more than 200 visits - a workload which branch secretary Group Capt David Packman says is increasing significantly.

It surprises some people that so long after World War Two there should still be a need for this caring service, but the reality is that one quarter of the country's population, some 14 million people, are eligible for help from SSAFA Forces Help.

The charity is committed to provide practical and emotional help and support to anyone who has served just one paid day in any of the three armed services, including the reserves, and their families and those who did National Service.

In addition to the surviving World War Two veterans and their families, many of them now in their 80s and 90s, other conflicts leave their legacy of men and women who have worn Britain's uniforms -- those who served in Korea, Malaya, Cyprus, Suez, Kenya, Aden and, more recently, the Falklands, the Gulf War and, of course, Northern Ireland.

With more than 210,000 personnel serving in the forces today, and nearly seven million ex-Service men and women, plus their dependents, SSAFA Forces Help has an enormous potential client base.

Through its caseworkers it can offer financial support for a wide variety of needs, such as helping those entitled to apply for state and local benefits and war pensions. It offers special needs assistance, helping in organising and funding home adaptations or special equipment for the disabled such as wheelchairs which cannot be obtained from statutory sources. The organisation also offers practical and emotional support for those who are lonely, bereaved, in debt or ill. Other services include housing, such as holiday apartments on the Isle of Wight specially designed for those with mild disabilities, a residential care home, welfare support and health care.

Typical of SSAFA Forces Help's response to problems was the case of Mrs N, who had spent 11 months in hospital with a badly-ulcerated leg which resulted in an amputation below the knee. Since discharge from hospital she had been forced to sleep downstairs as she was unable to climb stairs. She had not been off the ground floor of her home for 15 months and much of her time was spent in a wheelchair.

Thanks to SSAFA Forces Help's prompt action in funding a stairlift, Mrs N now lives a near-normal life and can move around her own home without restriction.

The pressures and separations of service life inevitably create family problems, and the charity provides short-stay accommodation for separated families at two Stepping Stone homes where they are helped to overcome their problems and settle back into civilian life.

There is a family escort service, assisting families and dependents travelling to and from and within the UK. The charity is also an approved adoption agency registered with the Department of Health.

In addition to 7,000 trained volunteers across the country, SSAFA Forces Help has 300 health professionals working with the service communities in Germany, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Brunei, Nepal and Canada. Funded by the Ministry of Defence, they provide community health services to the armed forces.

There is also a confidential support line offering advice and assistance to serving personnel and their families.

It is this organisation for the 'service family', past and present, which itself could do with a helping hand in Herefordshire. Not money, though donations are always acceptable, but those precious commodities time and commitment. If any reader feels able to spend a little time helping the people who help us through their service in a still-troubled world, SSAFA Forces Help Herefordshire would be pleased to hear from them. High-quality training is provided, with full support from an experienced and dedicated team. For more information, telephone the county branch secretary, Group Capt David Packman on 01885 400329.