Residents, staff and volunteers at The Royal Star & Garter Homes were delighted to welcome The Rt Hon. Earl Howe, Deputy Leader of the House of Lords and Minister for State of Defence, when he recently visited the Surbiton Home.
The Charity’s Chief Executive, Andy Cole, and Home Manager, Barbara Carter, gave the Earl a tour of the Home and the opportunity to see for himself the wide range of therapies and activities available to the residents.
Read moreThe official countdown is underway for the Endeavour Fund supported Turn to Starboard Round Britain Challenge, with just three weeks to go. On Saturday August 5, a team of veterans affected by military operations will challenge their minds and bodies by sailing 2,000 miles around the British Isles on board a tall ship.
The 8-week voyage, which is also supported by The Royal Marines Charity, will set sail from Falmouth in a clockwise direction and navigate Britain’s spectacular coastline visiting places such as Liverpool, Tobermory, Isle of Skye, Newcastle and Ipswich.
Read moreAlabaré is pleased to announce that John Hunter has joined the charity as a trustee. John served for 29 years in the Army as an artillery officer, during which time he served in Europe, Canada, USA, Zimbabwe and Indonesia. Latterly he was, for 10 years, a director and Chief Executive, of a medium size charity offering soldiers opportunities to achieve vocational and educational qualifications to enhance their military career prospects and prepare them for their next career. John is also a volunteer with the Harnham Water Meadows Trust.
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The World Premiere of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk in Leicester Square tomorrow night (13 July), will be attended by George Wagner alongside HRH Prince Henry of Wales and two Veterans of Kosovo and Afghanistan.
George Wagner, of Lichfield, escaped the beaches of Dunkirk in a rowing boat aged 19. While he helped fellow soldiers to reach rescue boats by building piers out of trucks with his regiment the Royal Engineers, many of the ‘blokes’ in his unit didn’t make it home. He says it was ‘pot luck’ that he managed to escape relentless attacks from the air and the ground with little or no shelter on an open beach.
Read moreStockport County Football Club will be supporting the UK’s leading Armed Forces charity throughout the whole of the new season.
The logo of the Royal British Legion will be proudly displayed on the back of their alternate away shirt during the new campaign, with a poppy on the sleeve.
The club will make a contribution to the charity at the end of the season based on sales of the replica shirt.
Read moreFUNDING FROM the Royal British Legion will help leading veterans support service Change Step provide vital help for ex-forces personnel in crisis.
A grant of £90,626 from the Legion’s External Grants programme will allow Change Step to provide dedicated crisis management mentors working across Wales.
The news comes as existing Change Step mentors release a heartfelt and powerful film to promote their work with former members of the Armed Forces.
Read moreBlind Veterans UK has announced that its gold medal winning garden, which featured at the prestigious RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show throughout last week, has begun its relocation to the charity’s training and rehabilitation centre in Brighton.
The garden, which also won the Best Construction Award at the Hampton Court show, has started its move towards the centre in Ovingdean where it will be enjoyed by blind veterans for years to come.
The ‘It’s all about community garden’ was designed by celebrated designers Andrew Fisher Tomlin & Dan Bowyer and was one of the largest and best received show gardens at Hampton Court this year.
Read moreParliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood MP, met OA staff and volunteers, while visiting several military charities in London on Thursday 6th July.
The Minister, who is responsible for Defence People and Veterans, spoke to Lee Holloway, OA Chief Executive Officer, and Nigel Hare, OA Head of Benevolence, about how we support transitioning and former officers, as well as their dependants. The Minister has a personal interest in the OA, having served as a Captain in the Royal Green Jackets.
Read moreThe Officers’ Association is developing a new training programme, in conjunction with Business in the Community (BITC), which aims to support businesses to develop sustainable military employment programmes.
The structured training will help employers to understand the benefits of hiring ex-military personnel. According to research by Deloitte, the OA and FIMT, 72% of organisations with active ex-military recruitment programmes recommend employing veterans; 53% of organisations that employ veterans find they are promoted more quickly than other colleagues and 79% find they take less sick leave.
Read moreKate Tripp is running for the OA in the OA Inter-Services Triathlon at the end of July. We interviewed her to find out more.
This year the triathlon is organised by the RAF Triathlon Association and sponsored by the OA. The Army, Navy and RAF will compete at the annual event, in individual and team categories, including Male, Female and Veteran. In addition to the Armed Forces, the emergency services, the OA and guest teams will participate. The OA will have a relay team, with a different person completing each discipline.
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Afghanistan support
In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here
