EV ENTS
EVENTS
TOMMY CHAMPIONS WIN GOLD AT FIRST ANNIVERSARY EVENT
TO M M Y C LU B F I R ST A N N IVE R S A RY G A R D E N PA RTY I N PI CTU R E S
OUR NEW TOMMY CLUB GOLD CHAMPIONS Ash AlexanderCooper OBE Barratt Developments Martin Barraud Raj Bisram George Bradford Tim Brown Stacy Cleghorn Michelle Dougan Penny Dyson Joan Edwards
September 2021: Silver Champions, Founding Patrons and military veterans come together at RBLI’s Aylesford village to celebrate the first anniversary of Tommy Club – with a select few taking away Gold Awards for their continued support. The inaugural Tommy Club garden party saw Champions travel from as far as Scotland and Cornwall to tour the village and meet some of the veterans supported by Tommy Club during the pandemic. Of them was veteran Tim Brown, who was diagnosed with PTSD after his 23-year service career which saw him complete operational tours in Iraq, the Gulf, and Northern Ireland. Tim now works in RBLI’s social enterprise factory, Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company, overseeing the team who produce the factory’s wide range of Tommy products. 20 Champions were also presented with coveted Tommy Gold Awards by RBLI’s Deputy Chief Executive, Lisa Farmer, for their significant contributions to Tommy Club.
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TOM M Y C LU B NEWS I AUTUMN 2021
Steve Sherry CMG OBE, RBLI’s Chief Executive, said: It’s been a truly remarkable first year for the Tommy Club. That support has meant that RBLI can continue on its path to greatly expanding our services – whether that’s providing a home to a homeless veteran, or supporting them into meaningful work opportunities. It’s because of those who support us through projects like the Tommy Club that we are able to provide the life-changing support that we can. But it’s clear that it’s only going to become harder over the coming years, as the country recovers from the effects of the pandemic.
Peter Girling Faye Kent Peter Ketley Sally Orange Paul Sapsford Steve Sherry CMG OBE Peter Topley Brendan Touhey MBE Trevor Vernalls Neil Young
IMAGES: Tommy Champions gather in the Garden of Honour before touring the Centenary Village and sitting down for afternoon tea. GOLD AWARD RECIPIENTS: Creator of the Tommy, Martin Barraud. Falklands veteran Peter Ketley, one half of the ocean rowing pair Grandads of the Atlantic. Tim Brown and Paul Sapsford from community fundraisers, Pew Pew Airsoft. RBLI Village resident and Tommy Champion, Peter Topley. Cycle event organisers and friends of RBLI, Penny Dyson and Brendan Touhey MBE. Corporate supporter Barratt Developments. Members of the Race to Victory relay team, ‘Team Tommy’.
TOM M Y CLU B N EWS I AUTUM N 2021
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