We will remember
For two weeks from the end of this month, millions of British people will wear a bright red poppy to remember the fallen and to support the work of The Royal British Legion. The charity was formed in May 1921 to help care for those who had suffered in the Great War. Now the leading Armed Forces charity, it organises the annual Poppy Appeal, and is recognised as the nation’s custodian of Remembrance, as well as providing welfare, comradeship and representation for the Armed Forces community.
The annual act of Remembrance will have particular resonance in November 2014, as we mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. As we approach this anniversary, it is worth looking at other charities that support our service people and their families.
Anyone who knows southwest London will be familiar with the great red brick building lining the ridge of Richmond Hill. The Royal Star and Garter Home was purpose-built and opened in 1924 for disabled servicemen, then with an average age of 22.
Latterly, however, this listed building has become less suitable for the care of its residents, who now average 88. In August this year, therefore, the residents were moved from Richmond Hill to a state-of-the-art home in Surbiton, where the excellent work will continue. The new home has 63 spacious rooms, several lounges, a café and bar, and offers nursing care, a range of therapies and a full activities programme. The Royal Star and Garter Homes also now operates another home at Solihull and is looking for a site at High Wycombe.
Help for Heroes, founded by Bryn and Emma Parry in 2007, has become a formidable force. It was set up to improve the quality of life for those who have suffered life-changing injuries or illnesses while serving, and provides comprehensive support to individuals and their families. Thanks to public generosity, it has already made more than 3,000 grants, totalling nearly £5m.
Grants for specialist retraining have also helped service people back into civilian life, while the sports recovery programme assists the seriously wounded gain independence. Help for Heroes has invested £70m in building four recovery centres in Catterick, Colchester, Plymouth and Tidworth. Its aim now is to continue fund-raising to cover the £7m annual running costs.
Even newer is Army of Angels, founded in 2009 by Stephen Valentine, who served in the Gulf War and later struggled with depression. ‘I wanted to assist former and serving members of the forces with the necessities of life after, or in preparation for, their discharge. We want to provide items to improve their situation and help the families of injured service personnel by offering respite breaks in our holiday homes, and assist the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.’
British veterans taking up cycling for charity. Right: a veteran scuba dives as part of his rehabilitation at a specialist facility in Florida, thanks to Help For Heroes
The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust also provides grants to individuals, responding each year to around 4,000 applications, with grants totalling £1.5m. It also funds annuities and runs a care home in Kent for elderly personnel.
The Lady has had particularly close links to the Commando Spirit Appeal for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund, an invaluable charity that supports Royal Marines and their families. Last year, editor Matt Warren and reader, Sally Munn, completed a fund-raising abseil from the roof of London’s St Pancras station, raising more than £10,000 between them. The appeal aims to raise £1m for the RMCTF by 2014, and invites members of the public to take part in a series of challenging events.
The RAF Benevolent Fund, founded in 1919, was described by Winston Churchill as ‘part of the conscience of the British nation’. It is responsible for the new (and long overdue) memorial to Bomber Command unveiled by the Queen in June 2012. Statues of seven aircrew remind passers-by of the sacrifice of 55,573 young Bomber Command Crew in the Second World War.
It also assists former members of the RAF and their families. Gary Thompson, a reservist with the RAF Regiment, was killed in Afghanistan when his vehicle was hit by a landmine in 2008. The Fund has been of enormous help to his widow, Jacqui, and her five daughters, and she has done something to repay that help by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the fund. ‘I was sent a cheque immediately, so I knew we wouldn’t lose our home and I’d be able to help my daughters Jordan and Amy through university,’ says Jacqui.
The Royal Air Forces Association also provides friendship and support to past and present members of the RAF community. It runs three respite care homes and helps keep personnel serving overseas in touch with their children through the Storybook Wings programme. Equipment is provided to parents for them to record their chosen stories that are then edited and given a personalised soundtrack by volunteers.
The death of her 21-year-old son James in Afghanistan in September 2009 turned Sarah Adams into an active supporter of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. ‘It helps people with basic everyday needs.’ She campaigns for better wages, believing ‘no government can justify sending such young boys to do the worst jobs and paying them less than bin men’.
She has already raised £22,000, supported by her younger son and daughter who have run the Cardiff Half- Marathon and the London Marathon. She herself has sailed on a zip wire across the 245ft-high Newport Transporter Bridge, which was ‘so scary’. She is likely to have met her £30,000 target after a successful gala ball that she organised last month on the fourth anniversary of her son’s death. A boxed set of signed Harry Potter books was donated by JK Rowling for auction. ‘There is already a £4,000 bid on that,’ Sarah tells me. ‘The whole evening was overwhelming.’
Army of Angels 01684-274577, www.armyofangels.org.uk
Commando Spirit Appeal 0844-693 1944, www.commandospirit.com
Help for Heroes 01980-846459, www.helpforheroes.org.uk
RAF Benevolent Fund 0800-169 2942, www.rafbf.org
Royal Air Forces Association 0800-0182 361, www.rafa.org.uk
Royal Naval Benevolent Trust 023-9269 0112, www.rnbt.org.uk
The Royal British Legion 020- 3207 2100, www.britishlegion.org.uk
The Royal Star and Garter Homes 020-8439 8000, www.starandgarter.org
The annual act of Remembrance will have particular resonance in November 2014, as we mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. As we approach this anniversary, it is worth looking at other charities that support our service people and their families.
Anyone who knows southwest London will be familiar with the great red brick building lining the ridge of Richmond Hill. The Royal Star and Garter Home was purpose-built and opened in 1924 for disabled servicemen, then with an average age of 22.
Latterly, however, this listed building has become less suitable for the care of its residents, who now average 88. In August this year, therefore, the residents were moved from Richmond Hill to a state-of-the-art home in Surbiton, where the excellent work will continue. The new home has 63 spacious rooms, several lounges, a café and bar, and offers nursing care, a range of therapies and a full activities programme. The Royal Star and Garter Homes also now operates another home at Solihull and is looking for a site at High Wycombe.
Help for Heroes, founded by Bryn and Emma Parry in 2007, has become a formidable force. It was set up to improve the quality of life for those who have suffered life-changing injuries or illnesses while serving, and provides comprehensive support to individuals and their families. Thanks to public generosity, it has already made more than 3,000 grants, totalling nearly £5m.
Grants for specialist retraining have also helped service people back into civilian life, while the sports recovery programme assists the seriously wounded gain independence. Help for Heroes has invested £70m in building four recovery centres in Catterick, Colchester, Plymouth and Tidworth. Its aim now is to continue fund-raising to cover the £7m annual running costs.
Even newer is Army of Angels, founded in 2009 by Stephen Valentine, who served in the Gulf War and later struggled with depression. ‘I wanted to assist former and serving members of the forces with the necessities of life after, or in preparation for, their discharge. We want to provide items to improve their situation and help the families of injured service personnel by offering respite breaks in our holiday homes, and assist the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.’
British veterans taking up cycling for charity. Right: a veteran scuba dives as part of his rehabilitation at a specialist facility in Florida, thanks to Help For HeroesThe Royal Naval Benevolent Trust also provides grants to individuals, responding each year to around 4,000 applications, with grants totalling £1.5m. It also funds annuities and runs a care home in Kent for elderly personnel.
The Lady has had particularly close links to the Commando Spirit Appeal for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund, an invaluable charity that supports Royal Marines and their families. Last year, editor Matt Warren and reader, Sally Munn, completed a fund-raising abseil from the roof of London’s St Pancras station, raising more than £10,000 between them. The appeal aims to raise £1m for the RMCTF by 2014, and invites members of the public to take part in a series of challenging events.
The RAF Benevolent Fund, founded in 1919, was described by Winston Churchill as ‘part of the conscience of the British nation’. It is responsible for the new (and long overdue) memorial to Bomber Command unveiled by the Queen in June 2012. Statues of seven aircrew remind passers-by of the sacrifice of 55,573 young Bomber Command Crew in the Second World War.
It also assists former members of the RAF and their families. Gary Thompson, a reservist with the RAF Regiment, was killed in Afghanistan when his vehicle was hit by a landmine in 2008. The Fund has been of enormous help to his widow, Jacqui, and her five daughters, and she has done something to repay that help by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the fund. ‘I was sent a cheque immediately, so I knew we wouldn’t lose our home and I’d be able to help my daughters Jordan and Amy through university,’ says Jacqui.
The Royal Air Forces Association also provides friendship and support to past and present members of the RAF community. It runs three respite care homes and helps keep personnel serving overseas in touch with their children through the Storybook Wings programme. Equipment is provided to parents for them to record their chosen stories that are then edited and given a personalised soundtrack by volunteers.
The death of her 21-year-old son James in Afghanistan in September 2009 turned Sarah Adams into an active supporter of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. ‘It helps people with basic everyday needs.’ She campaigns for better wages, believing ‘no government can justify sending such young boys to do the worst jobs and paying them less than bin men’.
She has already raised £22,000, supported by her younger son and daughter who have run the Cardiff Half- Marathon and the London Marathon. She herself has sailed on a zip wire across the 245ft-high Newport Transporter Bridge, which was ‘so scary’. She is likely to have met her £30,000 target after a successful gala ball that she organised last month on the fourth anniversary of her son’s death. A boxed set of signed Harry Potter books was donated by JK Rowling for auction. ‘There is already a £4,000 bid on that,’ Sarah tells me. ‘The whole evening was overwhelming.’
Address Book
ABF The Soldiers’ Charity 020- 7901 8900, www.soldierscharity.orgArmy of Angels 01684-274577, www.armyofangels.org.uk
Commando Spirit Appeal 0844-693 1944, www.commandospirit.com
Help for Heroes 01980-846459, www.helpforheroes.org.uk
RAF Benevolent Fund 0800-169 2942, www.rafbf.org
Royal Air Forces Association 0800-0182 361, www.rafa.org.uk
Royal Naval Benevolent Trust 023-9269 0112, www.rnbt.org.uk
The Royal British Legion 020- 3207 2100, www.britishlegion.org.uk
The Royal Star and Garter Homes 020-8439 8000, www.starandgarter.org