INTRODUCTION
CONTENTS
BY GENERAL THE LORD DANNATT. GCB, CBE, MC, DL
WELCOME TO OUR AUTUMN 2021 TOMMY CLUB MAGAZINE
Dear Champions Welcome to our second Tommy Club magazine and the celebration of the 1 year anniversary of the Tommy Club. What an incredible year it has been. First of all I want to thank all of you again for everything that you have been doing to support veterans across the UK. In our community we are all acutely aware of how distressed many of our comrades have felt watching the horrendous events unfold in Afghanistan. None of us wanted this. Many have been working incredibly hard behind the scenes to help get people out. It has also been absolutely vital that we have supported the veterans here, those we know are more isolated, or particularly angry, about the events they have seen on the news. I thank you for all your acts of kindness, all the telephone calls and visits that you have made to veterans to make sure that they are OK. We must all be alert for their mental health. By supporting the Tommy Club you are making sure that we are providing homes, care, jobs, counselling – and most important of all – a true community for those who are at the greatest risk. We are making sure they know their service is valued. I also wanted to thank you for taking the time to complete our Tommy Club survey. 98% response is fantastic. All of us in the Tommy Club have been encouraged by your feedback and messages and your commitment to this charity, and the charity’s practical work. We are certainly a community that walks the talk. I hope you will encourage your friends, family and colleagues to get involved and become a part of this too. We are making an important difference. We were founded in the crisis of the Covid pandemic, and the recent crisis in Afghanistan reminds us again how much the Tommy Club is needed. Please help us grow this wonderful new venture by spreading the word. General The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL
TOMMY NEWS
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Latest news
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Tommy Club updates
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RBLI’s LifeWorks team receive coveted national award
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Harry Kane scores again with Tommy branded Leyton Orient kit
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Tommy Club celebrates first anniversary with new Gold Awards
20 Barratt Developments step up their support 26 Garden of Reflection opens to honour those lost during Covid-19 27 Latest Florence Nightingale awards honour RBLI carers 31
RBLI veterans take to the airwaves
34 Salty Sappers: Final countdown to Atlantic attempt REGULAR FEATURES & STORIES
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Graham’s story: LifeWorks opens new doors
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Jasmine’s story: Learning new skills at SBMC
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Latest from Scotland’s Bravest
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Founding Patron: Nigel Howell
24 Founding Patron: Piers Storie-Pugh 28 Women in War: Bletchley codebreaker honoured 30 The RBLI Village explained 32 The Grapevine: Your stories from the community 36 Tommy Club shop: Remembrance TOMMY CLUB EVENTS
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Tommy’s Mini Mission - win a MINI!
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Tommy Tea gets the nation baking
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Tommy’s Race To Victory smashes targets
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Ride with a Veteran races to success
22 Limber up for the Tommy 10k 23 Remembrance events 35 Events diary — book your places now!
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TOM M Y C LU B NEWS I AUTUMN 2021
TOM M Y CLU B N EWS I AUTUM N 2021
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