Issue No. 11 April 2015
The 'Building A Future' Issue
In this issue: ◆
Homeless Veterans Campaign
We reflect on the success of exceeding the £1 million fundraising target in our Christmas Appeal ◆
Battle of Waterloo
The 200th anniversary of Wellington’s famous defeat of Napoleon ◆
Revisited: Andy Reid
A catch up with Andy Reid four years on from his first FrontLine cover appearance ◆
Levison Wood FRGS
The explorer talks to us about walking the length of the Nile and supporting our Charity
Dates for your diary April 2015 – December 2015. For more information please visit soldierscharity.org/events
APRIL
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16 18 21-22
Lord Mayor’s Big Curry London (Central Office) “Miss Durham” Competition County Durham (North East) Iranian Embassy Siege Presentation Rutland (East Midlands) 23 St George's Day Festival Lancashire (North West) 23 Richmond Golf Day North Yorks (North East) 23 St George’s Day Concert London (London Regional Office) 25 Charity Ball Exeter (South West) 25-26 Model Railway Open Day Suffolk (East Anglia) 26 Virgin Money London Marathon London (Central Office)
MAY 02 04 06
King's Div Band Concert Merseyside (North West) Heirlooms Car Boot Sale & Picnic Norfolk (East Anglia) Invasion of Jersey in WWII Battlefield Tour (North West) 08 VE Day Anniversary Celebration Ipswich (East Anglia) 09 Wenches Walk (Home Counties) 09 Stoke Military Tattoo Staffordshire (West Midlands) 09 Thirsk Race Night North Yorkshire (North East) 09 Abbeystead Annual Clay Pigeon Shoot (North West) 09-10 Newark Show Nottinghamshire (East Midlands) 13 Spring Reception Lincolnshire (East Midlands) 16-17 Royal Windsor Horse Show Berkshire (Home Counties) 19-23 Chelsea Flower Show Collection London (London Regional Office) 21 Bristol Golf Day Bristol (West) 21 Duddingston Golf Competition Edinburgh (Scotland) 23 Bluebell Walk & Tea Covert Farm, Northamptonshsire (East Midlands) 25 BUPA 10K Run – London (Central Office) 27-28 Suffolk Show Ipswich (East Anglia) 29 Sandleworth and Tameside Band Greater Manchester (North West) 30-31 Aske Shoot North Yorkshire (North East) 30-31 Edinburgh Running Festival Edinburgh (Scotland) 31 ‘Crolf’ nr Newton Abbot Devon (South West)
JUNE 03 05/08 06
Skydive Season 2015 Jun-Sep Various Locations a‘Beckett's Vineyard Tour Wiltshire (West) ABF/GWCT Charity Clay Pigeon Shoot (North East) Waterloo Dinner North Yorkshire (North East)
Editor Tom Cuff-Burnett
Band Display by The Pipes and Drums of The Scots Guards Assoc Greater Manchester (North West) 07 Forth Rail Bridge Abseil South Queensbury (Scotland) 08 “The Big One”, Charity Abseil Lancashire (North West) 10 Waterloo 200 – Guest Speaker St Helier (Jersey) 11 Waterloo Concert Edinburgh (Scotland) 12 RAF Regt Band Concert Pissouri (Cyprus) 13 ‘Hurt Zone’ The Army Run (Home Counties) 13-14 Cateran Yomp Perthshire (Scotland) 14 ABF The Soldiers’ Ride Hertfordshire (East Anglia) 14 Heritage Day – Sandhurst Berkshire (Home Counties) 16-20 Royal Ascot Week Berkshire (Home Counties) 17 Waterloo Campaign Tour & Re-enactment East Cheshire (North West) 17 Devon Golf Day Dainton Park, Devon (South West) 18 Beating Retreat Birmingham (West Midlands) 19 Waterloo Dinner Hertfordshire (East Anglia) 19 Waterloo Lunch at the “Old Boys Club” Macclesfield (North West) 20 Waterloo 200 Concert Exeter (South West) 20 Aberdeen Ball Aberdeen (Scotland) 20 “Wine & Roses” Reception Leicestershire (East Midlands) 20-21 Woodvale Rally Merseyside (North West) 21 Flitton Potato Race Bedfordshire (East Anglia) 21 GTASC Cheltenham Challenge Gloucestershire (West) 21 Catterick Triathlon Challenge North Yorkshire (North East) 21 Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge (North East) 22 “The Big One” Charity Abseil Lancashire (North West) 23 Chevining Reception Kent (South East) 24 Beating Retreat & Reception Northamptonshire (East Midlands) 24-25 Lincolnshire County Show Lincoln (East Midlands) 27 Armed Forces Day Nationwide 28 Northallerton Food Festival North Yorkshire (North East) 28 Bands in the Park County Durham (North East) 28 Armed Forces Day Reception Buckinghamshire (Home Counties) 28 SCOTS DG Wellington Memorial Scottish Borders (Scotland)
04 04 04 04 05 08 08 08 09
JULY
01 02 04 05 06 06
01 03 04 04
Contributors Kirsty Irvine Michael Standen Special Thanks Andy Reid Stoll Foundation Alabaré
Charterhouse Reception Surrey (South East) Summer Reception Lincoln (East Midlands) Knutsford Promenades - War Stories from 1914 to present day (North West) Buxton Military Tattoo Derby (East Midlands)
Design and Art Direction Pete Black Ltd Guest Photography Fenella Mett Tom McShane
Shrewsbury Big Curry Shrewsbury (West Midlands) Little Ponton Hall Open Gardens Lincolnshire (East Midlands) Cheltenham College Waterloo Talk Gloucestershire (West) Beating Retreat and Reception Worcestershire (West Midlands) Gurkha Grill Big Curry Manchester (North West) Sedgemoor Battlefield Tour Somerset (South West) Cheltenham Cricket Festival Gloucestershire (Home Counties/West) The Scots Guards Band Concert Salisbury (West) Open Air Shakespeare at Sand (Henry IV) Devon (South West) 10-11 Sedgefield Game & Country Fair County Durham (North East) 11 Concert by ‘The Madding Crowd’ Berkshire (Home Counties) 11 Herstmonceux Castle Reception East Sussex (South East) 14-16 Great Yorkshire Show (North East) 15 “Allo, Allo” Warminster Theatre Wiltshire (West) 17 East Riding Golf Day (North East) 18 Big Band Concert and Tea Devon (South West) 22 Driffield Show East Riding (North East) 22 Tatton Flower Show Cheshire (North West) 24 Dinner in the Park Norfolk (East Anglia) 25 Beating Retreat & Reception Leicestershire (East Midlands) 26 Heriot Row Garden Party Edinburgh (Scotland)
AUGUST 01 01-02 07 09 09 13 14-15 15-16 22 25
Aboyne Highland Games Aberdeen (Scotland) Spinnaker Tower Abseil Hampshire (Home Counties) Royal Lancashire Show Lancashire (North West) Knowsley Flower Show (North West) Charity Lunch Cheshire (North West) Salisbury Races Wiltshire (West) Shrewsbury Flower Show Shropshire (West Midlands) Lacock at War – MVT Event Wiltshire (West) King’s Div Band Concert Greater Manchester (North West) Brighton Race Day East Sussex (South East)
SEPTEMBER Dragon Boat Races Merseyside (North West) Gosforth Golf Day Newcastle (North East) Highland Military Tattoo Inverness (Scotland) Waterloo 200 East Sussex (South East) ABF The Soldiers’ Ride Bedfordshire (East Anglia) PARA's 10k Challenge North Yorkshire (North East)
ABF The Soldiers’ Charity Registered Office: Mountbarrow House 6-20 Elizabeth Street London SW1W 9RB T 020 7901 8900 F 020 7901 8901 E info@soldierscharity.org W soldierscharity.org
08 09 15 18 18 19 19-20 22-23 24 26 26-27 27
Beating Retreat & Concert Norfolk (East Anglia) WW1 Lecture at Chester University Cheshire (North West) Great North Run Newcastle (North East) The King’s Division Band Concert Pissouri (Cyprus) Kent Golf Day Kent (South East) Episkopi Garrison Fete Episkopi (Cyprus) Royal Berkshire Show Berkshire (Home Counties) Early, Early Christmas Fair Wiltshire (West) Beating Retreat (East Anglia) Born Survivor Challenge Cheshire (North West) Berlin Marathon + Marathon-In-line Skate Berlin (Central Office) Aldershot Autumn Lunch Hampshire (Home Counties)
OCTOBER 01 03 07-11 08 09 11 22 30 30 31
National Big Curry Month All regions Adlington Hall Charity Lunch Macclesfield (North West) Ascot Racecourse Army Day Berkshire (Home Counties) Frontline Walk – Belgium & France (Central Office) Wilts Golf Tournament Wiltshire (West) Red, White & Blue Day Schools Nationwide Royal Parks Half Marathon London (Central Office) Wilton Coffee Morning Wiltshire (West) Edinburgh Big Curry Edinburgh (Scotland) Band Concert Lincolnshire (East Midlands) Concert for Courage Nottinghamshire (East Midlands)
NOVEMBER 04 05 14 15 27 28
Autumn Lecture – Rory Stewart London (London Regional Office) Michaelmas Fair Exeter (South West) Market Lavington Christmas Fair Wiltshire (West) Wingates Band & King’s Div Band Concert Cheshire (North West) Winter Reception Leicestershire (East Midlands) Project Noel – Annual Carol Concert Merseyside (North West)
DECEMBER 09 10 12 17 17
Royal Hospital Chelsea Carol Service London (London Regional Office) Christmas Carol Concert Colchester (East Anglia) Aldershot Christmas Concert Hampshire (Home Counties) Bristol Carol Service Bristol (West) Hereford Carol Concert Herefordshire (West Midlands)
FrontLine Issue No. 11 The 'Building A Future' Issue, First published 2015 © ABF The Soldiers’ Charity Cover image © MOD
Whilst every effort is made to check the information contained in FrontLine, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity cannot accept any responsibility for errors or omissions.
Editor’s Letter Building A Future As the new Editor of FrontLine magazine, I would like to personally welcome you all to the April 2015 issue. Recently, we have seen some significant changes in the Army landscape: the ending of combat operations in Afghanistan; the strategic plan for the integration of our Regular and Reserve Forces for 2020 and beyond; and numerous new structures including the regional Brigades across the UK, all of which have an indirect impact on our Charity. This issue – centred on the ‘Building A Future’ theme – focuses on some of the ways in which we have provided vital support to individuals, their families, and other charitable organisations in facilitating these changes. This issue also comes at the end of a hugely exciting last few months at our Charity, as we were the featured charity for the Evening Standard & Independent Media Group’s Christmas appeal (alongside Veterans Aid). The Homeless Veterans campaign truly captured the public attention, with over £1 million raised and support
from HM The Queen; HRH Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge; Angelina Jolie and David Beckham amongst many others. Read more about the hugely successful campaign on pages 3, 22 and 23. In our new ‘Revisited’ feature on page 20 we catch up with Andy Reid – former FrontLine cover star – on adjusting to life as a published author, a successful public speaker and, most importantly, a father following the birth of his young son William. Turn to page 24 to see what Levison Wood, our newest Charity Ambassador and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, had to say about his immense 4,000-mile walk along the length of the River Nile last year. Find out how childhood role models such as Livingstone and Shackleton inspired his adventurous spirit, and how his five years in the Parachute Regiment were put to good use whilst raising money for our Charity along the way. That’s all from me. I do hope you enjoy this issue of FrontLine… I’m looking forward to the next one already.
Tom Cuff-Burnett
Contents 02 CE’s Message, Grants & Welfare Update
07 Securing our soldiers’ future
19 From Lincolnshire to London
A word from our Chief Executive and an update from our Welfare team
Three of our beneficiaries share their experiences of post-Service life
03 Homeless Veterans Campaign raises over £1 million
11 Alabaré: a roof over our veterans’ heads
Rachel Webster talks about her work with Barclays – one of our major corporate partners
20 Revisited: Andy Reid
A look back at the enormously successful Homeless Veterans Christmas Appeal
We speak to former soldier Kenneth Kwogyenga, Support Worker at Alabaré
A catch up with our former FrontLine cover star
04 Join The Soldiers’ Charity Fundraising Army
15 Red, White & Blue Day
22 Celebrities back our Christmas Appeal
Outrank your friends and co-workers by signing up to one of our national events
Our school fundraising initiative now in its fourth year
Stephen Fry, Dan Snow, Michael Morpurgo and David Beckham lend their support
05 Changes at our Charity
16 Housing our veterans since 1916
24 Interview: Levison Wood
New timings for FrontLine magazine and a new Charity website
Ed Tytherleigh at Stoll discusses the changing needs of our veterans
An exclusive interview with our newest Charity Ambassador
06 Star Supporter story
18 Battle of Waterloo 200th anniversary
Meet this issue’s Star Supporter, Mr Philip Woollcombe
A look at one of the great historical British military encounters 01
FrontLine | ‘Building A Future’ Issue
A word from our Chief Executive It is entirely fitting that this FrontLine’s theme is ‘Building A Future’, as we conclude our Homeless Veterans Winter Campaign with the Evening Standard & Independent Media Group which, in an amazing effort by all, has raised over £1 million. At ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, our business is building a healthy long-term future for our soldiers and veterans. In this edition the focus is very much on housing issues, which are much broader than simply helping veterans who are sleeping rough. We are working on life-long projects, which help from the moment a young man or woman leaves the Army, to ensuring that elderly veterans are treated with respect and dignity. Access to adequate housing is an issue that needs to be tackled at every level: from our policy work with wider government; to funding individuals who get into particular difficulty;
to funding veterans’ housing projects where the need is greatest – two of which are outlined in this edition. It is thanks to you, our supporters, that we can continue this amazing breadth of work and it is appropriate to reflect on some of that work here. We remain committed to working with every Regiment and Corps to ensure that help gets to where it’s needed as quickly as possible. Whilst we are looking to the future and the challenges it will bring, we should also remember the legacy of past conflicts and the sacrifices endured as a result. I hope you enjoy reading about both the work of our Charity and about the Army’s heritage as we also mark 200 years since the Battle of Waterloo. Martin Rutledge Chief Executive of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity
A perspective from our Welfare team Director of Grants & Welfare, Barney Haugh, summarises the importance of your support and the positive effects of our Homeless Veterans campaign. Whilst the vast majority of individuals leaving the Army make the transition from Service to civilian life without significant difficulty, there are some who face problems; either immediately or many years after leaving the Army. One of the key elements of a successful transition is access to appropriate housing and there are many reasons why a veteran or a serving soldier’s family can find this particularly challenging. The Service leaver and his or her family, in the majority of cases, leave the Army having been provided with serviceable housing with lower rent than their civilian counterparts. They then enter a much less structured living environment
with higher rent and sometimes poorer quality housing, set against a national picture of a difficult housing market. Whilst worrying data in the 90’s suggested that around 20% of the London homeless population were ex-Service personnel, recent evidence suggests that the real figure is much lower. That said, homelessness is far more than rough sleeping: put simply, homelessness means not having a home. With this in mind, our Charity, in partnership with Veterans Aid, became the beneficiary of the Evening Standard & Independent Media Group’s Winter Campaign. The importance of the ESI campaign to our work cannot be
underestimated. It has successfully highlighted and drawn attention to the many projects we currently support – or are being developed – to assist veterans and their families who have fallen on hard times. The funds raised during the campaign will have a significant impact, allowing us to develop current projects and initiate new ones. It will further strengthen the working relationships with our key partners across the UK, including charities such as Launchpad (NE and NW), Alabaré (SW) and Scottish Veterans Residences (Scotland), thereby providing essential assistance to veterans and their families in need of housing support.
Monies raised will help disadvantaged veterans and their families by the provision of services and support in order for them to establish financial independence and security. It will assist in supporting their housing needs to: Enable veterans in the UK to have the skills and confidence to move on to sustainable independent accommodation
02
Enable homeless veterans to build constructive and positive relationships within the wider community
Encourage an awareness of personal responsibility around budgeting, safety and security
Enable veterans to identify, pursue and enjoy their aspirations through training, education, employment and hobbies
Raise awareness around physical and mental wellbeing and enable veterans to access health and mental welfare services
How going vegan got sexy PLUS Behind the scenes at LFw AvAilAble every tHursdAy And fridAy
Homeless Veterans campaign raises over £1 million for our soldiers Friday 6 March 2015 free Newspaper oF the Year standard.co.uk west end final
Bank’s £300,000 gift takes Homeless Veterans appeal to
£1 million ❚ we hit target in campaign to help ex-servicemen … thanks to lloyds Jim armitage and anna davis THE Evening Standard’s appeal fund for Homeless Veterans reached our £1 million target today, with the help of a £300,000 donation from Lloyds Bank. Lloyds’ huge boost to the generous contributions of our readers will enable us to make an even bigger difference to the lives of those who have served our nation. Since launching the appeal in November, we have highlighted the plight of thousands of ex-servicemen and
Charity Appeal
women who have fallen on hard times or found themselves with no home. Prince William and all three main political party leaders have backed the appeal, with support also coming from the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, actors Stephen Fry and Angelina Jolie and singer James Blunt. Lloyds’ donation means that the Homeless
jihadi john’s sister living in fear >> page 5
ABF The Soldiers’ Charity (alongside Veterans Aid) was chosen by ESI Media Group – owners of the Independent, the i and the Evening Standard newspapers, as well as the London Live TV channel – as the beneficiary of its 2014 Christmas appeal. This was the first time that the ESI Media Group had held a joint appeal across all of its titles. Focused on the plight of Homeless Veterans, it featured many of those that our Charity has helped with housing issues, as well as partner charities which we fund in the housing support sector. The total money raised reached over £1 million in donations from the public, businesses and high-profile individuals. The campaign was opened by our Charity President General Sir Mike Jackson with an article outlining the importance of the public’s support for our veteran community, and was closed by David Beckham, who expressed his personal respect for the Armed Forces. Over the 10 week period of the appeal, 150 newspaper articles and TV news
Veterans appeal has broken all records for Christmas charity appeals at the Standard, The Independent, The Independent On Sunday and i. The money you have given will assist our partner charities ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and Veterans Aid in making a real difference to the lives of ex-Forces members who have hit rock bottom — and stop others reaching crisis point.
‘your kindness has changed lives’ page 2
Generous: donations from readers have poured in since we launched our appeal, highlighting the plight of thousands of ex-servicemen and women
harrison ford hailed a hero in plane crash >> page 7
segments appeared covering a range of stories; from case studies such as Greta Casperson and Les Fryatt, to news reports including the Christmas Truce football match, which was hosted by our Charity last December. The match was played between the Army Crusaders and the United Kingdom Parliamentary Football Club, in commemoration of the 1914 Christmas truce. Andy Garthwaite, one of our beneficiaries, netted the opening goal for the Crusaders who went on to win the match with a decisive final score of 5-1. There were also three online auctions held throughout the course of the appeal, with lots including a trip to a diamond mine in Botswana, a bespoke creation by artist Grayson Perry and a personalised newspaper front page from the Evening Standard. The auctions raised £50,000 for the campaign. Both the Chief Executive Martin Rutledge and Chief of Staff Robin Bacon were called upon for their thoughts and opinions for many articles, with the
Independent on Sunday also featuring an interview with Martin Rutledge in late January. In total, our Charity’s comments were included in nearly 100 articles and news stories. Owner of the ESI Media Group, Evgeny Lebedev took time to visit several of our partner charities during the appeal, where he met, amongst others, 93 year-old Douglas Cameron at Erskine and former Scots Guard Stephen Templeton at the Scottish Veterans Residences. Mr Lebedev’s personal support for the campaign was a key tenant to its success – he even went to the lengths of sleeping rough for a night with the Mayor of London Boris Johnson to demonstrate his commitment to the cause. The money raised has been split between our Charity and Veterans Aid, and has gone towards directly helping all the veterans and their families who have faced serious problems with housing and homelessness since leaving the Armed Forces. 03
FrontLine | ‘Building A Future’ Issue
Join The Soldiers’ Charity Fundraising Army
In 2015, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity established its very own Army: The Soldiers’ Charity Fundraising Army. The primary mission of this Fundraising Army is to raise vital funds needed to support our soldiers, veterans and their families.
Thank you RIFT for your tremendous support! RIFT, a UK-based tax refund agency, has supported ABF The Soldiers’ Charity since January 2014. With a generous £10 donation for every successful MOD claim processed, we are thrilled to announce that RIFT has now raised over £45,000 for our Charity. Jan Post, RIFT Managing Director comments: “We’re proud to support The Soldiers’ Charity and the invaluable work they do helping Service personnel facing tough times.”
We are looking for new recruits to join our Army and experience the camaraderie and enjoyment of rising through our ranks, whilst raising money to help those who give up so much for us. All recruits on our flagship events start off as a Private, and are promoted when fundraising milestones have been achieved.
How far will you climb to outrank your friends and colleagues? Ready to accept your mission? The Soldiers’ Charity Fundraising Army is growing day by day as people across the country sign up, so what are you waiting
Bradley Post, RIFT Commercial Director, presenting a cheque to
for? Join our elite fundraising force and earn your
ABF The Soldiers’ Charity
stripes by taking part in any one of our ‘Fundraising Army’ events – see page14 for more information.
The Soldiers’ Charity Fundraising Army Rank Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Major Captain Warrant Officer Class 1 Warrant Officer Class 2 Staff/Colour Sergeant Sergeant Corporal Lance Corporal Private
£ Raised 20,000.00 10,000.00 5,000.00 3,000.00 2,000.00 1,600.00 1,000.00 500.00 250.00 100.00 0
For further information or to see if you may be due a claim visit riftrefunds.co.uk/mod or call 01233 628 648
Winckworth Sherwood go the extra mile for The Soldiers’ Charity Winckworth Sherwood, one of the UK’s Top 100 law firms, adopted ABF The Soldiers’ Charity as their 2014-2015 Charity of the Year and has taken on a wide range of fundraising activities since the start of our partnership in April 2014. Completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge and delivering a brilliant CV and Interview Skills workshop for 12 wounded, injured and sick soldiers are just some of the activities they have undertaken to support our soldiers. Thank you Winckworth Sherwood.
The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge - Just one of many fundraising activities undertaken by Winckworth Sherwood to raise vital funds.
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Changes at our Charity FrontLine is changing After many a round table discussion here at the National Office, we will be amending the timings for future issues of FrontLine magazine. We will be publishing issues in December and June to provide you with timely mid and end-of-year updates from our Charity. To get us onto this new schedule, your next instalment will be in December 2015. Expect a bumper edition packed with an unprecedented 8 months of news, features and events. In the meantime, stay in touch and up to date with everything we’re doing by following our social media channels and keeping an eye on our website.
www.soldierscharity.org
facebook.com/soldierscharity
twitter.com/soldierscharity
youtube.com/soldierscharity
Brand new Charity website We are excited to announce that we will soon be unveiling our brand new Charity website. Whilst the current website has seen many important changes over the years – perhaps most notably the addition of the online shop, which continues to go from strength to strength – we hope that this newly-designed
website will make huge improvements in navigability and usability for all of our supporters, as well as our regional and national staff. You can see a sneak preview of the new homepage design below… look out for the full launch soon!
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FrontLine | ‘Building A Future’ Issue
★ Star Supporter – Philip J.J. Woollcombe Mr Philip Woollcombe has been a regular supporter of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity for over 14 years, matching the length of time he was in active service. He began his 14-year military career in the Royal Army Service Corps, with which he served from 1953 until 1957. He then served in the Canadian Armed Forces between 1957-1959, and went on to serve a further eight years in the Territorial Army. Mr Woollcombe’s family connections to the Army are extensive, and date back to his great grandfather, who served in the East India Company’s Army during the 1840s. His godfather served in World War One, his brother-in-law served as a Staff Sergeant in the Intelligence Corps at Bletchley Park during World War Two and his uncle was killed in France during World War One. Mr Woollcombe takes great pride in donating to The Soldiers’ Charity, and often encloses a handwritten letter with his donations, which our Fundraising team always look forward to receiving.
Of his ongoing commitment to our Charity, Mr Woollcombe told us: “I support ABF The Soldiers’ Charity because there are so many ex-soldiers and soldiers families who are in need, suffer from PTSD, or who are maimed or homeless.” We would like to wholeheartedly thank Philip for his continued support for our Charity.
If you would like to get in touch with our fundraising team, please email them on supportercare@
soldierscharity.org or write to us at
ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Mountbarrow House, 6-20 Elizabeth Street, London SW1W 9RB
Mr Woollcombe aged 17, taken at Aldershot Blenheim Barracks in 1953.
Remember our soldiers in your Will
Gifts left to us in wills are our biggest single source of income. Without them, our work simply wouldn’t be possible. By remembering ABF The Soldiers’ Charity in your will, you can ensure that those soldiers risking their lives for us today will have the support they need to deal with the lasting physical and mental scars of conflict. For more information, please contact Grace Akintokun on 0207 811 3206 or fundraising@soldierscharity.org 06
Securing our soldiers’ future Comradeship. Employment. Accommodation. Security. These are some of the many things that service in the British Army provides. Whether serving a short career or completing a full 22 or more years, it is a job like no other and the experiences lived and bonds forged stay with personnel for life. When that service ends however, the prospect of having to build a new future and transition to civilian life can open up a world of uncertainties. All that was taken for granted can suddenly disappear. We interviewed three of our beneficiaries: Les Fryatt, a World War II veteran who disembarked on the Normandy beaches shortly after D Day; Siobhan Weller, a former soldier who found herself walking the halls of Parliament years after leaving; and Jason Hill, a young medic whose hopes and dreams were destroyed by an injury sustained while on exercise. They talked to us about their experiences of starting afresh, and how, through the support of The Soldiers’ Charity, they are not alone.
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FrontLine | ‘Building A Future’ Issue
Les Fryatt
At the grand age of 91, Les Fryatt now lives in South London with his wife Jeanette. 70 years ago, life was very different. As part of a 10 man combat team he played a critical part in demolishing German positions inland at Normandy, as a Gunner in the Royal Artillery. Les fought his way across Europe and was demobbed in 1947. However, in the immediate post war years, the struggle for a stable future continued. “I was called up for service in 1942 at the age of 18. It’s funny really; I was a bit bored as nobody would give me a job, so when I got the call-up papers I was quite pleased. I felt for my mum though – out of 16 children, eight of us boys joined the Army, my two sisters volunteered for the WAAF and the three youngest were evacuated, so it was very hard for her.” Les recalls the build up to the greatest amphibious operation the world has ever seen: “We weren’t really told anything; we just started doing 08
intensive training, waterproofing the vehicles and going out to sea. When we left London we were on the troop lorries and people were shouting ‘give ‘em hell lads’ and we thought ‘something really must be happening’. When the time came, we loaded onto a liner and sailed through the night until we disembarked at Caen. We went about two miles inland and took the first gun position.” What followed was months of brutal fighting across France, Belgium and Holland before Les entered Germany.
Despite the atrocities that he witnessed, he has some fond memories of that time; “Oh the friendships you made; you made so many mates. They weren’t my Mum and Dad, but they were another family. And in Holland, the people there were very kind to the British troops.” On May 8th 1945, victory in Europe was announced: “there was a special announcement that the Germans had surrendered. Oh Lord, I was choked. But I felt confused about what was
going to happen. And we didn’t get a drink or anything like that!” Les narrowly avoided redeployment to Japan, but stayed in Germany for two more years before leaving the Army and returning home to a dramatically different London; “All my mates had disappeared; I didn’t know who had survived. It was difficult because you couldn’t go back to the old way of life. I couldn’t get a job at first as there wasn’t a lot of work about. But in 1953 my brother asked me to come along to a Spring ball to look after a girl and I’ve been looking after her for 60 years! Things slowly became more stable, but
building a future was a real concern, you had to stand on your own two feet.” Les found work with British Telecom and also joined the TA, where he did 16 years of service. However, it was decades later in the Autumn of 2014, that Les and Jeanette needed the support of The Soldiers’ Charity. He told us “I’ve got two replacement knees and one replacement hip so wasn’t able to get into the bath easily, and when I did finally get in, I couldn’t sit down.” Without the installation of a walk in shower, the couple feared that they would have to leave their home
of 30 years. Local authorities made a contribution to the cost of the renovation and The Soldiers’ Charity awarded a grant, which allowed for its completion: “Believe you me, it’s wonderful, I can now shower safely. I’ve never been so clean in my life!” The couple shared their story in the Evening Standard newspaper as part of our recent Homeless Veterans appeal, which raised over £1 million. We asked the Fryatts for their reaction to the fundraising total: “We think it’s wonderful how the British people will so easily open up their purses, we appreciate it so much.”
Siobhan Weller Siobhan Weller served for eight years in the Royal Logistic Corps, but a chronic illness led to multiple stints in hospital and a turbulent few years. Life took an unexpected turn when she was offered a job as a parliamentary assistant to an MP in London, but she couldn’t afford to fund the move from her home in Lincolnshire. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, The Soldiers’ Charity awarded Siobhan a grant that assisted with her first month’s rent, thus allowing her to accept the offer and to pursue a new, challenging future in politics. “I joined the Army at the age of 17; I felt it was the only opportunity that allowed you to gain experience of the world at such a young age. When you join HM Forces you swear an oath of allegiance to The Queen and Country, to provide a selfless commitment to serve. But years later, following a marriage breakdown, I felt I could no longer honour that commitment.” After an operational tour of Kosovo, Siobhan left the Army in 2006 seeking a new challenge. She recalls her transition from military to civilian life; “It was extremely hard on every level. You are a child when you join the Army and have incredible amounts of responsibility: from driving heavy goods vehicles with explosive ammunition to patrolling the streets of Pristina, in Kosovo. When you leave, you are an adult and your employer doesn’t care how many medals you have. But my service gave me incredible lessons in self-discipline, resilience and a positive attitude, to be the best I can possibly be.” It was when Siobhan was struck down with severe anaemia, which required weekly blood transfusions, that she got her first taste for politics: “I sat in a hospital room with these old men who were literally dying, but what kept them alive was watching these two crazy men in the chamber shouting at each other. It was Prime Minister’s Questions. I saw that passion and I thought maybe there
is something to this.” When her health finally improved, she applied for an internship at the House of Commons as part of the Speaker’s Parliamentary Placements Scheme. She was offered the job of a parliamentary assistant, but couldn’t afford to relocate to London. The Soldiers’ Charity therefore stepped in with a deposit and her first month’s rent on a shared flat, enabling her to take the job. Of her experiences, she says “London has challenged me; it’s hard but I’ve been out of the Army for a decade now and feel that it is finally coming together. I’ve had to take a massive step back; to think 10 years ago I had a husband, a daughter who lived with me, a brand new car, a decent salary and a home. But I’m more hopeful about my future now and that’s key. I’m still continuing the adventure, just in a different set of clothing.” Siobhan took part in our Homeless Veterans appeal, publicly sharing her story and attending key events to help raise vital funds. She told us “the campaign really opened my eyes to the troubles that people can face, but it also brought comfort in the fact that I’m not alone. Life does have a habit of going up and down, but knowing that for the rest of my life, because I served for eight years in the Forces, The Soldiers’ Charity will not only support me but will also support my daughter – it’s pretty amazing.” 09
FrontLine | ‘Building A Future’ Issue
Jason Hill Jason Hill started his military career in the Royal Army Medical Corps at the age of just 18. However, a back injury suffered during a pre-deployment exercise dramatically ended his dream of a lengthy service. Jason was medically discharged from the Army with no home, career or clear future. He moved to Perthshire where he currently has two jobs in order to make ends meet. For a while, he had nowhere to stay and relied on friends for accommodation, however two grants from The Soldiers’ Charity allowed him to obtain and furnish his own flat and helped to make his future that little bit brighter and more stable. “I heard all about life in the Forces from my brother and grandad who had both served in the infantry. I chose the Royal Army Medical Corps because I thought it would be very hands on and give me a skill-set that would do me well in the long run. During my second year in the Army I was on exercise near Colchester; as we were tabbing back someone fell over so I went to sort them out. But as I got up to lift him my back went. It started off as just some wear and tear but as time went on it became more serious. It was two months before we got the confirmed date for deployment to Afghanistan that I found out that I was getting medically discharged.” The news was devastating to Jason; “I just wanted to jump off a cliff. All of your hard work is just chucked out the window. I tried to look forward – my grandad always said ‘always look forward, never look back’ – but it was a big change; I went from the military back into civvy street so quickly.”
10
Unsure about what to do next, Jason moved back in with his parents and applied for a few jobs, but after having no luck decided to move up to Perthshire; “I moved here as there’s more medical related jobs in this area, it’s cheap on properties and I have a mate around the corner. At the moment I’ve got two jobs but my plan is to learn to drive so I can look for jobs further afield in Perth and Dundee. I’m also doing a course in advanced biology through a local college.” Jason was desperate to move into his own flat, but couldn’t afford any of the available properties, so a friend from the Army gave him a temporary place to stay. It was at that point that he turned to The Soldiers’ Charity: “I needed assistance with a rental deposit and it was The Soldiers’ Charity who turned round and said ‘yes, we’ll be able to help’. At that point I just thought ‘oh thank God, something’s been done’.” The Soldiers’ Charity awarded two grants; one which
paid for the deposit, and another that helped towards essential furnishings. Jason says “I was really happy to be able to get my own place. I love the flat, I’ve been able to paint it a bit – it’s my pride and joy. The second grant paid for my fridge freezer, sofa, bed & mattress, rug and curtains. When I moved in it was bare, just empty with white walls. The funding helped make it homely.” It has been a difficult transition for Jason, who is having to build a whole new future that is in stark contrast to the one he dreamed about as a young boy growing up in Derbyshire. “Life is a bit better now as I’m living in my own place, but in a way it’s not; when you’re in the Army you get your month’s pay and don’t have to worry about things like managing your food bills and making ends meet. But it was a big help getting my flat deposit. Sometimes it feels like no one cares, but The Soldiers’ Charity does, I’d have been stuck without their support.”
Partner charity Alabaré; providing a roof over our veterans’ heads On behalf of the Regimental and Corps Associations, we provide in the order of £2.5 million in grants to up to 100 Service and Non-Service Charities and organisations each year, which touch the lives of more than 70,000 people within the wider Army community. Alabaré featured in our recent Homeless Veterans Appeal as the largest provider of dedicated accommodation for working age homeless veterans outside London. They are now expanding their vital work into Wales with the help of our annual grants, which also provide the funding for Housing Support Workers like Kenneth Kwogyenga, himself an Army veteran.
needs and together create a personal support plan, with the ultimate goal being for the individual to be able to lead a successful and independent life. Ken One of the most important things is camaraderie. We want to eliminate the process of people feeling lonely; we want them to feel part of a family. The good thing is that because they’ve all served in the Forces that communality comes in.
What is the demographic of your residents? Geoffrey Technically we are supporting people of working age – so aged 16 to 65 – but we get people from across the spectrum: those who served in the Falklands, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq and more recently a few younger, early Service leavers.
Ken, does being a veteran yourself help? Oh yes as we speak the same language, we have the banter you find in the Army, which helps to find a common ground.
Originally from Ghana, Ken served for six years in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, which included an operational tour of Afghanistan. Along with Alabaré’s Campaigns Director Geoffrey Willis, he sat down to tell us about the vital work of the organisation.
Can you tell our readers about what veterans receive when they walk through the front door at one of your homes? Geoffrey Before someone is accepted to one of our homes we conduct a risk assessment so that we know we can manage their needs and they are willing to engage with our support. When they arrive they get a warm welcome and a room kitted out with towels and toiletries; it’s good quality housing with shared communal facilities. Their Support Worker will sit with them to discuss their
The newest Alabaré home opened in Gloucester in late 2014 with the help of funding from The Soldiers’ Charity. Can you tell us more about this? Geoffrey The Soldiers’ Charity helped us significantly, with £100,000 in funding over a three-year period – it was brilliant, we wouldn’t have been able to open the house without it. Ken Without the financial support of The Soldiers’ Charity it would be very difficult for Alabaré to work with those veterans in need, some who left the Forces a very long time ago. We put the money that you give us to very good use; we are helping people to build a future.
Are there any resident stories that have stayed with you? Geoffrey There’s quite a few, but let me tell you about one veteran who moved into one of our homes. He told me that
he had been living on the roof of a Co-op, as it was flat and in the Army they had taught him that taking the high ground was a good secure position. He said ‘don’t you realise that when you’re sleeping rough, people on a Saturday night after too many drinks think you’re good for a kicking?’ That man had fought in the Falklands and I found it appalling that he had to spend nine months on the roof of the Co-op just to keep safe. We put him in one of our homes, but if The Soldiers’ Charity doesn’t fund us then we can’t keep those homes open. So, ultimately, your supporters are helping to prevent people sleeping in places like the roof of a supermarket by funding our care and support for veterans.
Ken, can you tell us about your journey from Ghana to Alabaré? After university I came over to the UK and settled in Plymouth. One day I went into the city centre and saw an advert saying ‘join the Army, see the world’ and thought ‘wow’, so I went into the careers office to enquire and went on to join REME. I did a tour of Afghanistan, but left the Army after 6 years and saw another advert, this time for Alabaré who were recruiting a Housing Support Worker. I went for an interview and got the job. I love helping others and, at the end of the day, it is very rewarding as you’re helping people to successfully move on.
Alabaré featured in our recent Homeless Veterans Appeal, why was the campaign so important? Geoffrey Because there needs to be more awareness of the challenges that veterans can face. The Soldiers’ Charity is one of the leading charities that recognises this; indeed, it is the Charity’s funding that enables us to do our bit further down the line - we lean on you. 11
The Big Picture VE Day, 8th May 1945 A mass of civilians and Servicemen crowd around Piccadilly Circus, London. As they celebrated this momentous day, they would have been looking forward to building a new future. 70 years on, we continue to help serving and former soldiers to build a secure future for them and their families. ŠIWM EA 65879
FrontLine | ‘Building A Future’ Issue
National Events: Begin your career in The Soldiers’ Charity Fundraising Army! With everything from conquering the Scottish Highlands on foot to flinging yourself out of a plane at 13,000 feet, we’ve covered all the bases when it comes to raising money for our Charity! Read more about some of our flagship events and get involved today.
The Alliance Trust Cateran Yomp
The Frontline Walk
The Yomp is back, bigger and better than ever. On the weekend of the 13th-14th June, in the stunning surroundings of the Perthshire and Angus Highlands, hundreds of intrepid supporters will take on 22, 36.5 or the fearsome 54 miles in just 24 hours.
Walk in the footsteps of the soldiers of the First World War and help support the Servicemen and women of today. Taking place from the 7th-11th October, the Frontline Walk takes supporters on an incredible 100km trek over 3 days from Lochnagar Crater to the Menin Gate. See the landscape as it would have been experienced 100 years ago and discover how it is still shaped today by World War One. Sign up today for an experience that will stay with you for years to come.
Take on the best. Take on the Yomp.
Skydives
Join our Running Army
Do you have what it takes to strap yourself to a Red Devil and freefall at 120mph to support our soldiers? Yes? Then The Soldiers’ Charity Fundraising Army needs you! We have a brand new partnership with the world famous Red Devils, the official parachute display team of the British Army, and you could be one of the first to join our Fundraising Army and experience the adrenaline rush of a lifetime.
Rise through the ranks while pounding the streets and challenge yourself to a 10k, half or full marathon to support our soldiers. Take part in iconic races such as the Edinburgh & London Marathon, the Royal Parks Half Marathon or a fun 10k taking in the sights of London.
More details of featured ‘Fundraising Army’ events below: 27th May 2015 30th – 31st May 2015 13th – 14th June 2015 25th June 2015 15th July 2015 26th – 27th September 2015
Skydive with the Red Devils Edinburgh Marathon Festival Alliance Trust Cateran Yomp Skydive with the Red Devils Skydive with the Red Devils Berlin Marathon
7th – 11th October 2015 11th October 2015 2016 March 2016 April 2016 May 2016
Frontline Walk Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon Adidas Silverstone Half Marathon Virgin Money London Marathon BUPA London 10,000
For further information, please visit soldierscharity.org/fundraisingarmy or contact the National Events Team on 0207 811 3216 or via email at events@soldierscharity.org 14
shop online at www.soldierscharityshop.org For more ways in which to support soldiers, veterans and their families, visit our online shop. We have a great selection of clothing - from formal to casual, as well as accessories, stationery and gifts. Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find something special for yourself, your family or your friends at soldierscharityshop.org Our next mail order brochure will be coming out in September, packed full of Christmas cards, gift ideas and stocking fillers. All profits from your order go towards continuing our work.
soldierscharityshop.org
or call 0845 544 2901 to find out more
Introducing ‘The Heritage Range’: Silk Tie Silk Knot Cufflinks Lapel Badge
Red, White & Blue Day: providing the foundations of our support Our schools’ fundraising event, Red, White and Blue Day, is now in its fourth year, and we are delighted to announce that schools in the British Isles and beyond have so far raised thousands of pounds. The money raised goes to ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity. Red, White and Blue Day, which this year takes place on 9th October, aims to raise awareness of life for the many thousands of Service children, who have to cope with frequent house and school moves, as well as parents being deployed on operations for months at a time. Teachers can download unique lesson plans for free when they sign up to take part, and there is an annual series of competitions which encourages children of all ages to think about our Armed Forces, both in history and today. In 2014, we filmed special footage for our lesson plans at Rendcomb College, which featured World War One rations and what life in the trenches was like for soldiers, often not much older than the students who were learning about them.
The Soldiers’ Charity funds several charities, which are dedicated to helping the Army family, like Reading Force, or My Daddy Is A Soldier Adventures. To date, more than 250,000 children have taken part in Red, White and Blue Day; dressing up in red, white and blue, taking part in competitions and learning more about our Servicemen and women.
To sign up to join this year’s Red, White and Blue Day, visit
redwhiteblueday.co.uk
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FrontLine | ‘Building A Future’ Issue
Partner charity Stoll; housing our veterans since 1916 Stoll are another charitable organisation to whom ABF The Soldiers’ Charity provide essential financial support, who also featured in our Homeless Veterans campaign.
From the frontline to Fulham, Stoll has been supporting injured and homeless ex-Service personnel for nearly 100 years. Their newly opened Countess of Wessex House in West London provides 36 new homes, with 29 one-bedroom flats, four family flats and three flats specifically adapted for those with disabilities. The horrors of World War One shocked our Nation. Men were coming back from the frontline with missing limbs; unable to live the same lives they had before fighting in The War. In 1916, Sir Oswald Stoll – who had made his fortune with a theatre and film empire – established the Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation, which set out to look after injured Servicemen and their families. Based in Fulham, West London, the Foundation provided homes, welfare and clinical care so the soldiers they helped could get back to normal life. We spoke to Ed Tytherleigh, Chief Executive at Stoll, about how veterans’ needs have changed since Stoll was established.
Stoll is one year away from celebrating its centenary, how much has it changed since Sir Oswald’s founding vision? In many ways not at all. We were founded to respond to the most urgent needs amongst the ex-Service community and we’re still doing just that. However, these days there is certainly a greater focus on the mental health as well as the physical health of our Service community.
Stoll is one of the only charities that provide its beneficiaries with housing, clinical and welfare care, as well as help with education and careers. Does everyone who comes through your doors need all this help? We provide high quality tenancies to ex-Servicemen and women and offer them the support to live as independently as possible. Support is about putting together a package of services and interventions 16
Countess of Wessex House, West London. Photograph: Living Architects
that enable the beneficiary to become more independent. We won’t stop supporting a veteran until they are living on their own and our responsibility is to bring about whatever intervention is most appropriate to achieve that; from offering focus and motivation through psychological interventions, to resolving welfare issues or working with partners to tackle a specialist need.
which will enhance their lives beyond all recognition. We are experiencing a big growth in applications from veterans undergoing transition at the moment, especially those with families.
As homelessness and housing has been so prominent with the Homeless Veterans campaign, have you seen a recent uptake in those requiring help? We are certainly seeing more
Covenant has had an unintended consequence whereby the Ministry of Defence has been given the opportunity to focus solely on transition (to ensure no one is disadvantaged by their service) and, therefore, consolidated the fact that it is not responsible for the broader veteran community of those who left the Forces some time ago. I am not sure the debate is about doing more, but about the Government, be it through the Cabinet Office or through the MOD, being smarter and either taking the strategic lead or setting someone else the mandate to do it.
veterans applying to our services at the moment due to the campaign and wider recognition of homelessness in the veteran’s community. Most of the veterans we support are not street homeless (and there are relatively few ex-Service personnel on the streets), but there is a much wider cohort of veterans in housing need that we can offer accommodation and support to,
There’s a constant argument for the Government or the MOD to do more for veterans when they leave the Forces to stop them needing charity help. What are your thoughts on this? I think the
Stoll is focused mainly on London: are there any plans to expand to other cities? When I took over in 2011 we only worked in London. In 2014 we opened 36 new homes just outside of London, near Heathrow, and we will be building 34 new homes in Aldershot. We also run the Veterans’ Nomination Scheme (which brokers civilian Housing Association properties to Veterans – 151 tenancies so far and counting) all over the country.
Now that combat operations in Afghanistan have ended and the military is cutting its numbers, do you think you will have fewer veterans come through your doors? No – at least not in the foreseeable future. Even at the height of the fighting in Afghanistan, a little over 30% of
wounded, injured and sick personnel were combat-related, which means that the majority of Service personnel who need our services have never been to Afghanistan. There is an even greater number of veterans who come through to our services 5, 10 or 15 years after they leave. Afghanistan is not the biggest factor affecting the need for our services; it’s either poor health (incidental of service) or social exclusion in society once individuals leave the Forces.
What have been the biggest challenges Stoll has faced since you have been in charge? Probably resources! We know the need is there – our work enables vulnerable ex-Servicemen and women to go on and lead fulfilling lives without
having to rely on Stoll or any other military charity – but unfortunately we don’t have the resources to help everyone who approaches us.
You have been working closely with The Soldiers’ Charity for several years now, how important is our support for Stoll? Very. We have been given over £100,000 by the Charity over the last twelve months alone. This has allowed us to support individuals who have needed our help. Stoll can’t be successful on its own so that’s why we benefit from working with The Soldiers’ Charity. We are a long way from being joined up as a sector, but this partnership goes a long way to helping out the veterans in need of our support.
Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions, Fulham. Built for injured Servicemen in WW1
A person you are likely to meet at Stoll
even looking for. Finally my savings ran out
is Mr. Allen, who has lived at Stoll for
whilst living in Singapore and a kind uncle
almost eight years, following a period of
paid for my return to the UK.”
homelessness. Having served for nine years
On his arrival back to London, Mr.
with the Royal Signals, Mr. Allen left the
Allen ended up staying in a hostel run by
Army and made an apparently seamless
Veterans Aid and applied for housing at
transition to civilian life, going into a high-
Stoll. Because of the demand for Stoll’s
powered IT sales career.
housing, Mr. Allen had a long wait, but was
However, describing how he arrived at Stoll, Mr. Allen says: “I went off the rails around about 2004 due to the pressures and
delighted when he was finally offered a flat. Since then he has not looked back. “I still don’t know what I am looking for,
stress of the job. I had no direction and my
but thanks to the support team here and the
compass was spinning: I left my job, my girl,
camaraderie of other residents who are all
my house and went off travelling trying to
ex-military, I am settled… the compass has
find something; I had no idea what I was
stopped spinning.” 17
FrontLine | ‘Building A Future’ Issue
The Battle of Waterloo - 200 years on Just as 2014 marked 100 years since the start of WW1, the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo in 2015 offers an opportunity to reflect on another important anniversary in British military history.
Defence of the Chateau de Hougoumont by the flank Company, Coldstream Guards, 1815. Watercolour by Denis Dighton, 1815. © National Army Museum
On 18th June 1815, the Armies of the Seventh Coalition, under the command of the Duke of Wellington (combined with the Prussian Forces of Marshal Blücher), faced Napoleon’s army on the battlefield in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. It would be the self-proclaimed Emperor of France’s desperate final bid to regain power in Europe. A combination of bad weather and Wellington’s selection of the ground
played a crucial part in the opening exchanges, and after a number of lengthy engagements between the infantry and artillery companies from both sides, the arrival of the Prussian’s main force on the battlefield turned the tide in Wellington’s favour. Despite Napoleon sending his previously undefeated Old Guard against Wellington’s weakened centre, Napoleon’s Forces were soundly beaten, breaking ranks and retreating to hand victory to Wellington.
Wellington went on to become British Prime Minister twice, continuing as one of the leading figures in the House of Lords until his retirement. He also remained Commander-in-Chief of the British Army until his death in 1852. Suffice to say there are no veterans of this conflict left for us to help, but our Charity’s work in supporting our current serving soldiers, veterans and their families does go on, and we will continue to be here for them for another 200 years.
ABF The Soldiers’ Charity will be commemorating this anniversary with a number of regional events throughout June, some of which are listed here: June 18
06 10 11 17 19 19 20
Waterloo Dinner North Yorkshire (North East) Waterloo 200 St Helier (Jersey) Waterloo Concert Edinburgh (Scotland) Waterloo Campaign Tour & Re-enactment East Cheshire (North West) Waterloo Dinner Hertfordshire (East Anglia) Waterloo Lunch at the “Old Boys Club” Macclesfield (North West) Waterloo 200 Concert Exeter (South West)
From Lincolnshire to London: a networking success Barclays has supported ABF The Soldiers’ Charity since 2011 through their AFTER (Armed Forces Transition Employment and Resettlement) Programme. Our Charity has received £1 million in Community Investment donations over this time which, to date, has primarily funded educational and vocational training for wounded, injured and long-term sick soldiers transitioning out of the Army. It remains a very important relationship – bringing together our Charity and the world of finance for the benefit of our veterans. We spoke to Rachel Webster – former Late Entry Captain of the Adjutant General Corps and now Business Manager at Barclays Wealth & Investment Management – about her determination to build a positive future and a successful career, which has taken her from the industrial heartland of the North East, to the corporate high-rises of Canary Wharf. Despite her radically changed surroundings, the one constant has been Rachel’s commitment to working with those in need; whether the communities of war torn countries abroad, or injured personnel seeking to build a new future in the civilian world.
Times entitled ‘Corporal Webster gains the trust of raped Muslims’ – to be able to sit and listen to these 12 & 13 year old girls who had been violated beyond belief was something I will never forget. And then in Iraq I managed to get some social innovation funding to help rebuild a local school that had been destroyed by the militia, which was a real highlight. The Prime Minister came to open it; it was a proud moment.
– mornings in Canary Wharf, afternoons in the City – and solidly network. I would say look at the pieces of the puzzle, look at your strengths, look at your skill-set, research companies; it’s your second career so do something that you’ll enjoy. I still come to work and every day I smile; I love it, the people, and the environment.
Whilst at Barclays you’ve continued to help those in need build a future, can you tell us more about that? I spent my first
Was it important to you to work in these eight months supporting their AFTER communities to help ensure a more positive Programme that they run in partnership future? Yes. I’ve always had a desire to with the MOD and ABF The Soldiers’ make a difference; not to say ‘look at me’, but more to show that humans aren’t all bad. The Army gave me the opportunity to make a difference in the areas where we were deployed operationally. A lot of my colleagues did the same; we could make a difference and win hearts and minds.
Charity. It works to support wounded, injured and sick Service personnel, and veterans, by providing them with work placement opportunities. We’ve also Why did you sign up to join the Army? aligned our Barclays Degree Programme I left school with a limited education, but to open it up to young Service leavers. Currently we have 3 guys reading for a got an apprenticeship as a welder and degree and we’ve arranged over 200 work became one of the first female welders with British Steel. A lot of guys in my cohort left When you left the Army in 2013, how did you placements and multiple military talent find the transition to Civvy Street? days. My time with AFTER was really and went to join the Royal Engineers and It was okay as I went about finding a job by rewarding and at the same time helped me told me how great it was. So I went to the doing a mission analysis; I wanted to work with my own transitional journey. Army careers office in 1988 and thought in London, I wanted to work in Canary ‘ooh that looks interesting’ and joined the In both your business life and personal RMP. When I went into the military I never Wharf, so I decided that I would network life, you’ve chosen to support The Soldiers’ expected in my wildest dreams that I would to get a job. I attended an insider day at Charity; why us specifically? I am Barclays; everyone was so positive which stay in for 24 years. helped, as you have moments of doubt passionate about the Charity; I’m Army thinking ‘was I too late to leave?’, ‘will they and it’s for the Army. The Charity is so What unique opportunities did Service life afford? Out of my 24 years I was deployed want to employ me?’, ‘what is my value?’ – hands on; it isn’t bureaucratic, it’s just but Barclays could see it. A few weeks later there to make a difference and support for 11 of them; that included Northern I got the call and joined the company in Ireland, Bosnia/Kosovo, Iraq and those that need help. Some people leave August 2013. Afghanistan. But the Army always gave the military and don’t want to do anything me the opportunity to make a difference more, but I want to be able to actively give in the communities where I served. In What words of advice would you give to my support – whether it’s meeting Service those making that transition? You have Kosovo for example, I found these girls leavers, or standing there and telling who had been raped and identified the to be active; you can’t expect to be given people about the Charity – explaining why individuals responsible, until the Haig a gold plated solution – you have to work veterans need that extra bit of support. I’m Tribunal came in and took over the case. at it. I was exhausted by the months of so pleased to be able to promote that, it’s An article about me appeared in The job hunting; I would come into London really important to give something back. 19
FrontLine | ‘Building A Future’ Issue
Revisited: Andy Reid This ‘Revisited’ article is to be the first of what will become a permanent fixture in future FrontLine magazines. We are ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, and we define ourselves by the fact that we will be there for soldiers, veterans and their families, for life. This feature will focus on the long-term nature of our support by looking back on the positive impact that our grants have had on our beneficiaries’ lives. To launch this special feature, who better to do so than Andy Reid; a terrific ambassador for our Charity who first appeared on the cover of FrontLine over four years ago. Long term supporters will be familiar with his remarkable story: despite losing three limbs to an IED whilst serving in Afghanistan, Andy has surmounted overwhelming odds to start a family, find a fresh career and forge a new life on civvy street. We sat down for a catch up with him, his wife Claire and their young son William at their new home in Merseyside.
Looking back, what do you recall about that life-changing moment whilst on foot patrol with 3 YORKS in 2009? There was a massive bang and I was lying on my back with a big dust cloud all around me but I couldn’t hear anything at all. It was quite strange because I wasn’t in any pain – it felt like I’d just run into a door, there was numbness throughout my body. I looked down and couldn’t see my legs, but I couldn’t see any blood either. I began shouting for the medic as loud as I could, but I couldn’t hear myself.
Back in the UK, when doctors told you about the extent of your injuries, what kind of thoughts were going through your head? I remember thinking, ‘I’m a survivor, not a victim’. Several mates had been killed but they’re no longer here and I still am, so I thought I’m going to set myself some goals and start moving myself forward.
Did the fact that your mother was also an amputee have an effect on your attitude? (Andy’s mother had her leg amputated as the result of a car crash years earlier, when he was just 11 years old). Yes, as I’d grown up with my mum being an amputee, so I wasn’t really that concerned. She brought up four kids in a three-storey Victorian house and just got on with it. Most people, even soldiers, probably don’t know another amputee, but having an insight into it did help.
Photography: Colin McPhearson
able to come home, so I can’t thank the Charity enough for what they did in those early days. In the five and a half years since he was injured, Andy has done skydives, abseils, 10k runs, and countless other challenging activities in order to raise vital funds and awareness for The Soldiers’ Charity. He married his partner Claire, became a father to William and published his first autobiography ‘Standing Tall: The Inspirational Story of a True British Hero’, which stormed to the top of the book charts.
The Soldiers’ Charity provided the first of many grants just two weeks after you were injured. Claire, can you tell us about why this grant was so urgently needed?
Andy, as well as a published author, you now work as a successful public speaker. Why did you choose this career path?
Andy was desperate to just come home for a couple of days to be out of the hospital environment, so The Soldiers’ Charity provided the funds to turn the front door around, put a ramp in and put a bed downstairs. If it wasn’t for those adaptations Andy wouldn’t have been
It was after I did a talk during a holiday cruise that I realised I had an opportunity to get my story out there and show others that injury or illness isn’t the end of the world. When I do a talk at a school, I think if one kid changes their attitude towards learning or towards life, then it’s
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all been worthwhile and I’ve achieved something. And I wanted to write the book not just for those injured, but for their parents and families, so they could get a bit more of an insight into what their loved ones might be going through. People say things happen for a reason – maybe the incident was meant to happen so I could go out and support others.
Over the past five years The Soldiers’ Charity has awarded a number of grants that have supported you & your family. What has this meant to you? It’s been fantastic; the immediate support was there when I was injured, and continued to be there when I needed housing adaptations and when I left the Army. But it wasn’t just help with the physical things; the Charity helped fund my speaking course so supported me in forging a new career. Your life changes and the compensation doesn’t last forever, so it’s really reassuring to know that The Soldiers’ Charity will always be there alongside us, it’s a massive weight off our shoulders.
‘I had an opportunity to get my story out there and show others that injury or illness isn’t the end of the world. When I do a talk at a school, I think if one kid changes their attitude towards learning or towards life, then it’s all been worthwhile and I’ve achieved something.’
Your donations can help support injured veterans like Andy and help them to build a positive future. Pledge your support today by visiting
soldierscharity.org/donate
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FrontLine | ‘Building A Future’ Issue
Our Homeless Veterans campaign receives huge support from leading public figures Royalty, politicians and global celebrities all came out in support of the Homeless Veterans campaign, which our Charity ran in partnership with ESI Media Group – owners of the Evening Standard, Independent and i newspapers, and London Live television channel. The campaign, which raised over £1 million, received backing from a host of public figures.
Image: Rebecca Reid
Stephen Fry “British icons; Routemaster buses, our Royal family, the pomp and ceremony that is the Changing of the Guard. Our Armed Forces are much more than just a national institution however. They put themselves in danger for the sake of their country; they risk everything; they leave everything behind. It concerns me greatly that veterans could be facing housing hardships when they have given their all to serve our country. Some veterans battle mental ill-health, alcohol dependency, family breakdown or injury, and both the financial help and the public support to those at breaking point can really make a difference. My grandfather served in the Austro-Hungarian Army in World War One. Despite being just 18 years old when he volunteered, he won a medal on the Eastern Front – where millions of men lost their lives – in the battle for Romania. Luckily, we now have much more support in place to look after our soldiers. Charities like ABF The Soldiers’ Charity need donations to try to stop any veteran facing a future without a home. I am in good company, as our Royal family has backed this campaign, and it is up to those of us who have a voice to support those who have none. Give veterans the help they deserve.” 22
Dan Snow “I have a deep connection to the military – members of my family have fought in many wars on all levels. My great grandfather Robert McMillan, served as a doctor with the Canadian Army in World War One, it was an experience that left him troubled for the rest of his life. He never spoke about his experiences of the war, and rarely showed any emotion to his family after returning. This was 100 years ago, and unfortunately for him it was a different time socially. He may have been suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), an affliction that affects many Servicemen and women, and veterans today. His family supported him through his life, but he was a very changed character. This campaign highlights a critical issue within the veteran community; leaving the security of the Forces and making the transition to civilian life can be very tough. With added issues of PTSD, limited housing or the breakdown of families, some men and women can be left in situations that we are seeing today. The sacrifices made by the people in my family, or in the millions of other families throughout the UK, should never be forgotten. No veteran should ever have to find themselves without a home, and with all of our support we can do something together to fix this.”
Michael Morpurgo OBE
David Beckham OBE
“Those who fought in the First World War continue to be an inspiration to many of us. Their courage, their camaraderie, sometimes their stoical acceptance of events, meld into a quiet heroism that we can only admire and learn from. For that is where real military history lies; in the hearts and memories of those who fought, wherever or whenever that was. If we listen to their stories, repeated again and again down the decades, we might learn how little war can achieve. The quiet heroes are still with us, the Second World War veterans, of which fewer and fewer remain, and those who’ve served in conflicts around the world in the years since. We must extend the same respect to all of those who have served in today’s Armed Forces. Wherever they were stationed, whenever they leave their life of soldiering, however old they are – some will struggle as they face civilian life. We need to recognise this and we have a responsibility to ensure that, whatever their challenges, they have a place to call home. It’s a fitting recognition of the sacrifices they have made and something of a tribute to those who served before them.”
“The men and women of our Armed Forces serve their country; they put their lives on the line and never ask for anything in return. It’s always a privilege to meet them and I am a proud supporter of everything they do. The Homeless Veterans appeal has shown us that sometimes veterans need our help, whether they are out on the streets, living in a hostel or need help keeping warm in their own homes in winter. Everyone who has supported the campaign and given money should be applauded; they are letting them know that they are not on their own. ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and Veterans Aid are doing such a great job; they support our soldiers for life. It’s important that we never forget the sacrifices made in keeping our country safe, and the money you have all raised will make sure that our veterans are never forgotten.”
Our Homeless Veterans campaign is still raising funds. To find out more about how you can make a difference please visit
homelessveterans.co.uk
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FrontLine | ‘Building A Future’ Issue
Interview: Levison Wood Explorer and former Regular Officer in the Parachute Regiment, Levison Wood, talks to us about why he supports ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and why it was important to him to raise money for our cause by trekking the length of the Nile.
hippos and crocs in particular, but inevitably the biggest challenge was always going to be people, bureaucracy and politics. It turned out it was – civil war in South Sudan and red tape in Egypt.
Do you think your training in the Army helped you in some of the situations you found yourself in during the expedition? Yes of course – it gives you the necessary skills to deal with difficult situations and work under pressure, as well as the confidence to undertake these things in the first place.
Would you say that there are qualities that make both an adventurer and a soldier? I think living by a certain
Photography: Tom McShane
First of all, tell us about your experiences in the military. I’d always been interested in a career in the Army since I was a boy so I joined the OTC at University, which gave me a good introduction to Service life. I eventually made it to Sandhurst where I commissioned into the Parachute Regiment. I loved my years there: exercises in Belize, Malawi, France and operations in Afghanistan are some of the proudest experiences of my life. I left the Regulars in 2010 and joined the Reserves, where I continue to serve with the MSSG (Military Stabilisation Support Group), which, although completely different, is a really important role conducting CIMIC (CivilMilitary Co-operation) and passing on our experience to others.
When you left the Army, what inspired you to start leading expeditions to some of the most remote and undiscovered places in the world? Actually, I led my first expeditions on adventurous training with the Army to Thailand and Nepal. I’d already travelled widely, but the Army gave me the skills and experience to do it professionally. Initially I worked for a charity in Africa delivering ambulances to Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, and then set up an expedition company, which enabled me to travel as a guide and leader to some of the most remote places in the world. 24
I developed my skills as a photographer and writer at the same time, scraping together a meagre living, but having an amazing time.
Is there any one explorer that inspired you as a child/young adult? I was inspired by a whole host of people – from the great explorers of the nineteenth century such as Livingstone, Burton and Baker, soldiers like Younghusband and Frederick Burnaby, and of course men like Shackleton and Scott.
code, never giving up, having personal motivation and believing in yourself, all cross over.
You’ve always been a supporter of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, and have recently become our newest Charity Ambassador: why does the work we do resonate with you so closely? My father was a soldier, as was my grandfather, so I wanted to do my bit to support this institution, which will be around long after we’re all gone, continuing to do great work to support our veterans.
Africa has long been at the centre of some of your most extensive expeditions to date; what is it about this continent in particular that intrigues you? It’s the raw,
How vital is it that more people – especially those with a military connection – be made aware of the work that we do? It’s incredibly important –
visceral qualities of the place that draws me. I’m intrigued by the people and of course the wide, open spaces. There’s nothing quite like sleeping out under an African sky.
the military comes and goes in people’s imaginations, but the soldiers stay and carry on regardless. The wider public need to be kept informed that there are brave young men and women who sacrifice their time – and lives – for the defence of this country.
When did the idea to trek the length of the Nile first enter your head? About three years ago I decided I wanted to push myself to the limit and undertake an immense expedition, The Nile seemed like the biggest thing I could think of.
What were some of your biggest challenges and concerns with planning a trip of such epic proportions? Of course there were concerns about wildlife –
And finally, other than continuing to spread the good word about The Soldiers’ Charity, what’s next for you? Lots of adventures planned! I’m off to the Far East with the Reserves soon, then to Colombia to learn about Organic Coffee and then by the summer I hope to be off on my next big trek…can’t say more than that just yet!
54 MILES : 24 HOURS : PERTHSHIRE : SCOTLAND
Push f to sel your limit the
Great for team u b ilding
Experie n a milita ce exercis ry e wit a twist h
soldierscharity.org/yomp 0845 504 6616 Facebook.com/CateranYomp
The Alliance Trust Cateran Yomp is sponsored by Alliance Trust PLC and is developed and run by WildFox Events which specialises in organising fundraising events across the UK. ABF The Soldiers’ Charity is a registered charity in England and Wales (1146420)and Scottish registered charity no. SC039189. Alliance Trust Staff Foundation is a charity registered in Scotland no. SC044113.
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The Frontline Walk 2015 in support of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. Walk 100km this centenary year, following in the footsteps of the soldiers who fought on the Western Front during WWI. www.soldierscharity.org/frontlinewalk
18/02/2015 14:04
On 7th August 2014 we bade a very fond farewell to Brigadier Charles Ritchie, having handed over as Chairman of the Scottish Grants Committee (originally the Scottish Advisory Committee). Charles and his wife Araminta have been hugely supportive members of our Charity’s family for 14 years and, having handed over to Brigadier Hughie Monro, Charles and Araminta are now hopefully enjoying some well-earned time off – we wish them both well. Our long-serving Major Donor & Trusts Fundraising Coordinator, Fay Ponikowski, retired on 31 January 2015, having given over 16 years’ service to ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. We wish her the very best in her retirement. A special mention to Mr Eric StuartBamford, Surrey County Chairman for 6 years, who helped to grow one of the region’s flagship events – the Reception at Charterhouse School – and raised £150,000 during his time in office. Major (Retd) Roger Heap TD DL has moved on from his post as Derbyshire County Chairman, which he held for 7 years, bringing his time on the committee to a total of 40 years. During his time as County Chairman, Roger and his wife Carol were instrumental in raising £265,000 for our Charity.
Our Corporates, Trusts & Partnerships team would like to thank the following organisations for their invaluable contributions to our Charity: Barclays for their continued funding in support of training for wounded, injured and sick soldiers transitioning out of the Army into Civvy Street; MBDA Systems whose annual black tie dinner in November 2014 raised £21,935; BAE Systems for their generous support with educational and vocational training for veterans; Pandora Jewellery UK for their kind donation through sales of the beautiful ‘Wildflower Tribute’ charm; and Red Lion Foods for donations generated through sales of The Soldiers’ Charity branded ham sold in Tesco stores. We would like to say a huge thank you to Brigadier Peter Stewart-Richardson MBE, Norfolk County Chairman for a staggering 32 years. He has raised £330,000 in his time: an immense contribution to our Charity. Our thanks go to Colonel Anthony F George MBE TD DL, Birmingham Chairman for 6 years who raised £100,000 during his time as Chairman.
Also, our thanks go to to Colonel Alan Jolley OBE TD DL, Lancashire County Chairman for 7 years, bringing his total time as a member of the committee to 20 years, having previously been a member of the Merseyside committee. A huge thank you to Mr David Wood for his absolutely sterling work as Project Manager, Rotary Club, pulling together connections across the UK and widening our Charity’s network of contacts since November 2011. We will be sad to see him go and wish him the very best in his next venture. Thank you to Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Nick Leadbetter MBE, who is stepping down as Oxford County Chairman after 9 years of service. He raised over £240,000 during that time, and we are pleased to hear that he will remain closely linked to the Charity for the foreseeable future, in continuing as a member of the County Committee. Finally, our thanks to Colonel (Retd) Edward York OBE TD DL, who worked tirelessly in his role as Vice President of North Yorkshire Committee, alongside his wife Sarah.
You can make a donation to support our most recent work by any of the following means:
POST
PHONE
ONLINE
TEXT
send a cheque made payable to ‘ABF The Soldiers’ Charity’ to the address below
Call 020 7901 8900 to speak to someone in our fundraising team
visit our website
the easiest way to donate - text Army4 to 70004 to donate £3*
soldierscharity.org/donate to make a donation online
ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Mountbarrow House, 6-20 Elizabeth Street, London SW1W 9RB * Text costs your donation amount plus network charge. ABF The Soldiers’ Charity receives 100% of your donation. Obtain bill payer's permission. Customer care 08448479800