COLCHESTER families who have been reunited with loved ones who serve in the military enjoyed a day out together thanks to a charity.

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, provided funding for a day out for families who had, until recently, been separated because of military deployment.

The families, from the 16 Medical Regiment in Colchester, had been apart because the unit had been deployed overseas.

One military wife said: “You often get told ‘you knew what you were marrying into,’ when you complain about being alone.

“But the truth is, you don’t understand how hard it can be until you have lived this life.

“Sometimes it is alright, we have a great community and get through it together, and sometimes it’s awful and I don’t know how I’ll make it through the day.”

Michele Turner-Everett, SSAFA Colchester serving community chair, said the organisation was only too pleased to support the families.

She added: “The spouses just get on with their lives alone, running homes and looking after children, regularly becoming a single parent for six months or more at a time.

“Getting to know your partner again after a long deployment isn’t easy.

“Some of these families are also strapped for cash with the cost of living crisis.

“By helping them to go on a day out together they can decompress and the kids can get used to the returning parent, without any pressure, and in a neutral environment.”