Twenty bomb disposal experts from the British Army are preparing to cover 1,500 miles by bike to raise funds for Felix Fund – the charity for those affected by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD).
Switching blast suits for Lycra, the cyclists will begin their ride from Edinburgh to Bielefeld in Germany on June 12th and average about 100 miles per day. In just 15 days, they will visit every security-cleared EOD regiment in the first-ever Tour de Troops.
Read moreOn May 16, together with Lord Smith of Kelvin KT CH (on behalf or Baroness Emerton DBE DL), the Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS) hosted a reception in the House of Lords to update key peers from Defence, Health and Policing about the organisation. In the Role of Royal Patron of DMWS Her Royal Highness, The Countess of Wessex, GCVO attended as a key advocate of the Charity’s work.
Read moreThis week the NFA took a group of more than 50 veterans from service care homes and associations across the south east of England for a lunchtime trip on the Bluebell Railway. This popular annual outing gives guests the opportunity to socialise with like-minded people for a few hours and, judging by the smiles and laughter, everyone soon got to know each other.
Read moreLast weekend NFA Chairman David Cowley organised a charity walk through the beautiful Hampshire countryside to raise funds for the Association. Despite the heavy rain more than 140 people took part, with half completing the full 10-mile walk and the others taking the 5-mile option (perhaps because of the weather!)
Read moreIt’s not often that a small business owner gets to meet the Managing Director of a FTSE250 who could turn out to be a potential client, but this is exactly what happened when Royal Navy Veteran Kevin Bath joined X-Forces Big Business supporting Small Business campaign.
This introduction between a small business and the bigger industry players encapsulates what Big Business supporting Small Business means, and was the driving force behind Lord Young’s, Ren Kapur’s and X-Forces initiative that was launched on the 9th May.
Read moreAccording to Sir James Lawrence Munby, President of the Family Division of the High Court of England and Wales the practice of separating elderly couples against their wishes when one or both move to care homes must end (The Times, 10 May 2017). The Defence Medical Welfare Service has been providing welfare to the Armed Forces community when they are on a medical care pathway since 1943 and has recently launched several projects to support the Aged Veteran community. Our Welfare Officers are acutely aware of the challenges faced by aged veterans and are well place to offer tailored support.
Read moreOn the 23rd of May, the 100 Peaks Challenge, an epic 25-day trek across 100 peaks of the British Isles, will get underway, aiming to raise £100,000 for both ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and Support Our Paras in the process.
Lloyd and Karl
Lloydy (left) and his brother, Karl.
The 100 Peaks Challenge was created by Karl Rushen, a supporter of both charities, who has already raised several thousand pounds for many military causes.
To celebrate Dementia Awareness Week, military veterans living with dementia were thrilled to welcome Tickle – a delightful miniature Shetland pony owned by The Phoenix Children’s Foundation to The Royal Star & Garter Homes in Solihull. All residents at the Home were invited to meet Tickle and spend a wonderful morning in her company, with plenty of opportunity to give lots of care and affection to the tiny pony
Read moreAs well as providing supported housing, Stoll accesses specialist services to help vulnerable Veterans improve their physical and mental health. We are delighted to announce a new partnership with Headspace, an award-winning mindfulness and meditation app.
The Headspace app has been downloaded by more than 10 million people and is used by people in all walks of life to de-stress and assist with specific issues such as insomnia, self-confidence, focus, etc.
Read moreOn Thursday 4 May, 15 teams competed to become quiz champions at The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home’s (QAHH) spring quiz night, and helped to raise £1,700 for the charity.
QAHH supporter and member of Chippingdale Cricket Club networking group, Pete Mansell, acted as quizmaster. He led the teams through 10 interactive rounds of questions, which included pictures and sound clips.
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Afghanistan support
In light of recent events in Afghanistan, please find information and support resources here
