News

Citizenship Youth Groups Raise £000s

Two separate groups of teenagers, one based in Exeter and the other from the Blackpool area, recently took part in a community action programme run by the National Citizen Service called Project Brave.
They each set themselves the challenge of raising funds for The Not Forgotten Association (both groups included children of NFA volunteers) and through a whole host of activities including a cake bake, raffle, car wash, football match and fun run, together raised more than £2,000 – a fantastic achievement!

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Preston blind veteran urges others to seek support this Eye Health Week

This National Eye Health Week (18 – 24 September) a Walton-le-Dale Armed Forces veteran who has received vital support from national charity Blind Veterans UK is urging other battling sight loss to come forward.

David Hughes, 85, said: “When I lost my sight it felt like there were a lot of things I couldn’t do anymore. But since getting in touch with Blind Veterans UK I’ve regained my lost confidence and I feel a lot more positive about the future.”

David joined the Army as a boy soldier in 1946 and trained as an apprentice tradesman with the Royal Signals. He undertook vehicle maintenance training and was posted to Catterick, where he was tasked with ensuring the upkeep of Army vehicles.

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‘Red 10’ Aston Martin Red Arrows car heads to Kop Hill Climb

This year’s Kop Hill Climb motoring extravaganza will feature one extra special car – a red Aston Martin Vanquish S.

The £275,000 car is a representation of a spectacular Red Arrows Vanquish S model which the RAF Benevolent Fund is raffling off this December. The car is one of just 10 unique cars which will roll off the Aston Martin production line later this month, created by the iconic carmakers in a tribute to the world famous aerobatic display team.

See the car for yourself Kop Hill, Princes Risborough, on Saturday and Sunday (September 16 and 17) as it joins hundreds of others taking the historic trip up the hill.

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Headley Court nurses visit disabled veterans at The Royal Star & Garter Homes

Residents at The Royal Star & Garter Homes were delighted to welcome RAF nurses stationed at Headley Court, the Armed Forces Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC), when they recently visited the Surbiton Home.

The disabled veterans shared a morning with the nurses participating in various activities together. After taking a tour of the Home, the nurses joined in with a lively dance session, aptly titled “wheels and heels on fire”, before taking a much needed break and an opportunity to chat with residents.

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Pay tribute to the fallen with the Poppy Field Project

A local military charity is inviting residents to take part in the creation of a blanket of poppies, which will serve as a tribute to the fallen soldiers of our nation.

Blind Veterans UK, the charity for blind and vision-impaired ex-Service men and women, is calling on local residents to knit, crochet and stitch together a beautiful tribute to our fallen soldiers. The Poppy Field Project, now in its second year, will be a blanket spread of poppies created by the charity and its supporters.

The charity, which provides free lifelong supporter to vision-impaired veterans, first undertook the project last year, with staff, veterans and supporters alike working together to create the blanket of poppies.

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The medal that saved my life

Tulsidevi Danai holds up a battered medal bearing the likeness of King George VI. To her, it is the difference between life and death.

“This is my evidence for getting my Welfare Pension [from The Gurkha Welfare Trust],” she explains. Her husband, Rifleman Bakhansing Khatri, earned it for his service during the Second World War, fighting in the jungles of Burma.

“It was hard for them,” she says. “They didn’t have enough supplies. When he used to fill his water bottle in the jungle it was dirty and full of leeches. But they had no choice but to drink it.

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‘I Married a Soldier’

Brenda Hale, our Charity Ambassador, is now a published author! ‘’I Married a Soldier’ follows Brenda’s experience of losing her husband, Captain Mark Hale, whilst he was serving with 2 RIFLES in Afghanistan on the 13th August 2009.

Mark’s unit had been providing security for a meeting of local leaders in Sangin and searching a mosque for ammunition, when a soldier triggered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

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Been involved in seafaring? Join a telephone group with other Seafarers

“It’s free and fun, just like chatting in the mess, and you can do it from the comfort of your home.”

Seafarers Link is celebrating its tenth anniversary with an ambitious target of creating an additional 10 telephone friendship groups for former Seafarers and dependants.

The project hosts free conference calls for former seafarers and their families in a partnership between Community Network and both SFUK and MN Fund. It was devised in response to recommendations in a major report on Seafarers welfare, Supporting Seafarers and Their Families: The Challenges for the Future, commissioned by Maritime Charities Group in 2007.

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The Countdown begins … Soldiering On Awards Nominations Close 29th Sept. Have you nominated someone for a Soldiering On Award yet?

Soldiering On Awards nominations were declared Open in July and we are delighted to see lots of nominations coming in.

Have you submitted your nomination for a deserving person, team or business yet? If not, get started now! Register your nomination on our simple on line nomination system here Soldiering On Awards Nominations Once registered you can revisit and update and amend your nomination until you decide it is completed and ready to submit.

Now into its 8th year the Soldiering On Awards are your opportunity to help us recognise existing and former members of the Armed Forces and those who support the Armed Forces community at the prestigious 2018 Soldiering On Awards.

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Afghanistan support

In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here