FrontLine Magazine - February 2010

INTHIS ISSUE ABF The Soldiers’ Charity exciting new rebrand THE BIG CURRY EVENT. Eat Curry. Raise money

soldierscharity.org FOR SOLDIERS FOR LIFE

FRONTLINE

FRONTLINE ISSUE 01 FEBRUARY 2010

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soldierscharity.org

ABF THE SOLDIERS’ CHARITY: FRONTLINE#ISSUE 01

Trooper Stephen Shine — 2 Royal Tank Regiment — Stephen lost his left leg and badly injured the right when the tank he was driving in Iraq was hit by a roadside bomb. Despite the injuries, he’s not short of grit: he’s been determined to carry on his career and has recently returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

But negotiating the layout of his mother’s home in London, both during his immediate recovery and when home on leave subsequently, was tough, tedious and exhausting.

Our grant for a simple adaptation has made a practical difference to his quality of life. But as Stephen’s mum, Frances, recognises, giving practical assistance to soldiers is only part of the story.

— “There is always a family as well, and they need to be helped too, because they are the ones looking after the soldier.”

— Discover more stories at soldierscharity.org — — — — —

Contents 05

Read about our new direction and how we continue to help

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Eat Curry. Raise money.

Find out how!

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Colonel David Richmond’s tale of injury and Afghanistan

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Read inspirational stories of fundraising challenges, and how you can take part

Show your support for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity by wearing one of our enamel badges.

To receive one of these please email sophie_mccready@soldierscharity.org

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ABF THE SOLDIERS’ CHARITY: FRONTLINE#ISSUE 01

ABF The Soldiers’ Charity — our rebrand

The already heavy demands placed on our charity will only increase in the future. We are already dealing with a 30% increase in case numbers of individual soldiers and members of their family, and just around the corner we will also be faced by the demands of a new generation, the men and women who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We don’t yet know exactly what their demands will be but we must be prepared to do our duty by them.

We need to ensure that the Current Operations Fund supports soldiers for life.

However where appropriate some of this money is being spent right now to make a real difference. We have provided a new wheelchair adapted minibus at the Cotswold Families Centre at Corsham and another vehicle to BATTLE BACK, to enable soldiers recovering from injury to have their families around them and to participate in adaptive sporting opportunities.

We have also bought sporting equipment, funded Family Activity Breaks for bereaved families, provided substantial funds for home adaptations and funded adventurous training activities to enable wounded soldiers to realise their full potential. A recent grant of £350,000 to Combat Stress will be used to fund a mental health outreach team in London and our work alongside Veterans Aid ensures that no homeless veteran needs to sleep on the streets.

Please join us in breathing new life and enthusiasm into our desire to support those who have served their nation. We exist to support some very special people who deserve all the help we can get for them. Remember that we are For Soldiers For Life, and there is much work to be done.

soldierscharity.org

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Major General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter KCVO OBE DL Chief Executive 01 Case study photo shoot with Trooper Stephen Shine and photographer David Short 02 Salisbury Plain with 4 Mech Bde and ABF The Soldiers’ Charity Chief Executive, Major General Sir Evelyn Webb Carter

Read Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson’s story online

Consequently we have set ourselves an enormous challenge of doubling our income over the next five years. Our old branding and name were not sufficient to inspire new supporters but we firmly believe that ABF The Soldiers’ Charity is much more descriptive, and relevant for our purpose.

It is our responsibility to ensure that we have the money available to help and to make certain that soldiers know who to turn to. We are the charity for soldiers we are a lifelong charity whose main purpose is to look after the individual soldier and the individual members of their family.

The Grants Team are proud of their ability to make grant payments within 48 hours and their speedy intervention has made a significant difference at a critical point in many lives.

We are working closely with the MoD, Regimental and Corps Associations and other Charities to put in place a more responsive, effective grant making system. The system now links to Individual Recovery Plans and is tailored to meet the needs of each soldier passing through the Army’s Recovery Capability process. This ranges from support to families to meeting the specific needs of individuals not funded by the public purse to ensure their best possible recovery.

With other Service Charity partners we have played a pivotal role in the development and launch of a new way of management. A web based form linked to BACS payment will be used to ensure that delays are minimised and help is delivered speedily and effectively.

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ABF THE SOLDIERS’ CHARITY: FRONTLINE#ISSUE 01

CHARITY SOLDIERS’ G ABF THE SUPPORTIN

Visit our new website bigcurry.org for all your curry needs!

Curry night turns up the heat in Helmand

The Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Nick Anstee, will host the flagship Big Curry event on Thursday 29th April in Guildhall, The City of London from 12 noon to 3pm. The Lunch will be the largest Big Curry event in 2010 with all proceeds going to The Soldiers’ Charity.

In April 2009 a group of British Army chefs and Sri Lankan civilians served up a hot and spicy menu for some 4,000 troops in southern Afghanistan. The Big Curry night was held at UK bases across Helmand Province, raising £6,000 for The Soldiers’ Charity.

This year’s star turn was an extra-hot Sri Lankan pork curry, courtesy of 20 Sri Lankan chefs who work alongside the 64 Army chefs at Camp Bastion.

According to Corporal Paul Milne, who coordinated the event, the Sri Lankan curry is not for the fainthearted: “The pork Sri Lankan is the hottest - and for real spice fans we’ve got fresh chilli rice as well,” he said.

The Big Curry is an opportunity for you to have fun whilst raising much needed funds for The Soldiers’ Charity.

Curry is the nation’s favourite cuisine and our soldiers love it too! We’ve decided to combine the two and inject some spice into the month of April.

The Big Curry is simple, easy and most importantly, fun. It’s an event you can hold at home, work, restaurant and school - wherever is most convenient for you. We don’t mind, as long as you have fun and help our soldiers.

This year The Big Curry is aiming to raise platefuls of cash to improve the lives of our soldiers and their families who are desperately in need of our help.

Join celebrities, sporting heroes and well known chefs in The Big Curry 2010 to raise money for The Soldiers’ Charity.

Now in its 4th year, The Big Curry is bigger and louder than ever before!

Get involved, give generously and most importantly have fun whilst knowing you are helping our soldiers to whom we owe so much.

Why we want your help The Big Curry is The Soldiers’ Charity public call to action, and a brilliant

opportunity to add some spice and flavour to your fundraising! As we rely on our supporters to expand and help our beneficiaries, you are the most important ingredient.

By hosting a Big Curry event in April, you will be joining the rest of the nation in publicly showing your support for our soldiers in need.

Like the Army family, The Big Curry brings families, friends and neighbours together in order to support a great cause.

Families are the centre of the home and our soldiers rely on that support, and increasingly organisations like The Soldiers’ Charity when times get tough.

We can provide you with all the tools you need to make your Big Curry evening an event to remember. Contact Kirsty Irvine on 0845 034 7966 or bigcurry.org.

With your appetite suitable whetted, do read on for some great examples of previously held Big Curry events.

The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch is Three!

Spicy London Nights The Soldiers’ Charity supporter Becky Carrington held a Big Curry night for a close group of London based friends. She said ‘I wanted to raise money for my favourite charity in a fun and social way’.

She invited eight of her closest friends and served up a menu of King Prawn Madras, traditional accompaniments and copious amounts of beer!

With Bhangra music creating the atmosphere they even held an impromptu chilli eating contest.

All of the guests made a donation to The Soldiers’ Charity in return for the meal and everyone had a great night, knowing that they were raising much needed money in such an original way.

Lunch guests will include recently returned soldiers, politicians, senior Army Officers and key figures from the Square Mile. Delicious curries will be provided by Noon Products, beer by Cobra Beer with wine and water

by Berry Bros. & Rudd. The lunch is informal, with buffet service and bench seating and no seating plan to allow guests to mingle freely and engage with Army representatives of all ranks. Musical entertainment will be provided by The Band of The Life Guards, and a raffle and auction will feature truly spectacular moneycan’t-buy-prizes.

The Lord Mayor will also be hosting The Cadets Big Curry Evening on 29th April, bringing together Army Cadets from across the country. In recognition of their hard work the Cadets will be treated to an exciting evening of entertainment, whilst learning more about how The Soldiers’ Charity helps soldiers and their families throughout their lives.

To purchase tickets for The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry, enquire about sponsorship opportunities or for further information please visit bigcurry.org or email tickets@bigcurry.org or call 020 7901 8914.

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soldierscharity.org

ABF THE SOLDIERS’ CHARITY: FRONTLINE#ISSUE 01

Story of an army wife

Profile — Colonel David Richmond, 43 — Commanding Officer, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland — Currently Chief of Staff of the Land Warfare Centre. He was leading an operation near Musa Q’aleh in Helmand Province on 13 Jun 08 when he was hit by a Taliban bullet, becoming the most senior British officer injured in action in the country.

— — — — —

— by Jules Prentice, wife of Major Rob Prentice (1 Mercian)

Coming from a long line of Forces wives, I was under no illusions about what my life would be like when I married my husband in December 2004. Indeed, the highs and lows have remained the same throughout the generations.

Sixty-seven years ago my Grandmother married her own Forces sweetheart in Rochdale, just one day before he left for active duty. Despite only meeting ten days earlier they spent a happy sixty-six years together. She talks of her life in the Forces with great affection and is proud that she left the small community in Lancashire to see the world and experience a life people could barely dream of.

Similarly, in 1967, my Mother also married into the Forces. During a career spanning thirty-four years they moved a total of nineteen times. As a child at times it was quite tough. As a wife I think she rather enjoyed it!

The sense of community back then was not too dissimilar to how it is now.

Wives did look out for each other, women with young children got together regularly and the welfare team supported where they could. There is the unparalleled support that you get from friends around you that

are going through the same things, the sense of adventure in travelling the world and the immense sense of pride you get when standing next to your man in uniform.

Whilst my parent’s generation led a mostly stable service life, we are once again experiencing the dread of the late night knock at the door. In 2009 in particular, we have lost friends and colleagues and there are plenty more just like us.

As a community we tend not to think too much about the bad sides of Forces life and focus on the positives. For Army wives like me; we know things could be worse. Today, there is almost instant communication with mobiles, the internet and satellite television, this coupled with the excellent service provided by the BFPO mean there are so many ways to feel close to your loved ones, wherever in the world they are serving.

My daughter is now two years old, and her Daddy says that she is never allowed to date a soldier. I will just wait and see.

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Musa Q’aleh Without doubt my time in Afghanistan was the most professionally challenging of my career. After months of training and weeks spent travelling the country, I finally deployed to Afghanistan on 10th March 2008.

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01 Captain and Mrs Prentice on their wedding day 02 Jules’ Grandmother and mother with the family in 1953

BUY OUR WRISTBAND

Jules Prentice has another string to her bow. She is the founder of The Forces Store, a website which should be your first port of call whether you want to send a parcel to service personnel away from home, a gift for someone in the UK or just a treat for yourself.

Buy our wristband as well as other gifts from theforcesstore.co.uk

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Days later I took command of the Battle Group at Musa Q’aleh, which had recently been wrested from Taliban control. I got to know Mullah Salam, the District Governor and former Taliban commander, whose defection was the catalyst for the town being retaken, and ‘enjoyed’ a number of verbal jousts with him as I tried hard, to limit the influence of his personal ambition which stretched well beyond Musa Q’aleh.

We established a good working relationship with the collocated Afghan National Army Kandak (Battalion) - the FOB was rocketed frequently and the soldiers patrolled daily to disrupt Taliban freedom of movement. Tragically we started to take our first casualties, both killed and wounded.

But the enduring courage of our soldiers, patrolling under intense pressure, knowing that contact with the Taliban was only minutes away and with the all-pervading IED threat evident, will remain with me forever.

My Afghanistan experience came to an abrupt end when I was wounded during a Battle Group operation to disrupt Taliban activity North of Musah Q’aleh. I was then lucky enough to experience the extraordinary skills and commitment of all of our medical personnel. Having had a unique view of our medical system looking through the eyes of a patient and as a CO I can say that it is deeply impressive.

I have also spent many weeks at Headley Court in the company of our most seriously wounded and they are a truly inspirational group. They simply refuse to be beaten and have shown the most extraordinary strength and depth of character; but they and their families will need help for many years, some for the rest of their lives. I know that they are all grateful for the support that The Soldiers’ Charity have given them. On behalf of us all and those who tragically will become casualties in future, I thank you.

EVENTS DIARY 2010 Home Counties

South East

homecounties@soldierscharity.org

01252 348269

6-Mar Civic Band Concert at the Garrison Theatre

21-Mar “Reading Half Marathon.

Come along and support“

21-Apr St George’s Day celebrity golf day in Stoke Park Country Club and Resort

22-Apr The Trial of Penn & Mead at The Courts of Justice, Southampton

25-Apr Basingstoke Male Voice Choir.

St Georges Day Concert at The Anvil Basingstoke

2-May Collection at Reading FC Madejski Stadium

5-May Visit to the Rifles Museum and tour of Arundells

9-May Aldershot Spring Lunch at Buller Barracks Officers Mess, Aldershot

12/16 May Collection at the Royal Windsor Horse Show

6-Jun Beating Retreat at Houghton Lodge and Gardens, Stockbridge

20-Jun Midsummer Charity Fair in conjunction with Sandhurst Heritage Day and College Sunday. RMA Sandhurst

3-Jul Clay Shoot at Oxon Bicester.

Teams of six invited to enter

3/4-Jul Army Show at Queens Avenue, Aldershot

12-Jul Windsor Races Collection

17-Jul Reception, aerial display and Beating Retreat by The AAC Band at Shotover House, Wheatley, Oxford

17-Jul Presentation on Army Operational Nursing and Beating Retreat at Hampshire Collegiate School, Romsey

17-Jul Newbury Races Collection

26-Aug Bucks County Show at Aylesbury Showground, Weedon Park

3-Sep Outdoor Theatre Presentation of Pride & Prejudice at Wintershill House, Durley

18/19 Sep Collection at The Royal County of Berkshire Show, Newbury Showground

London

24 to 26-Sep 26-Sep Collection at Ascot Racecourse Aldershot Autumn Lunch at Buller Barracks Officers Mess, Aldershot

ghogarth@soldierscharity.org

25-Apr Virgin London Marathon If you have your own place contact us

29-Apr The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry at Guildhall

North East

4-Aug Cricket and evening Festival Reception with Military Bands 25-Nov Talk on Afghanistan by Major General Nick Carter, Commander Regional Command South at the D-Day Museum, Portsmouth

11-Dec Aldershot Christmas Concert at the Royal Garrison Church of All Saints, Aldershot. 10th Anniversary concert

020 7414 3321

25 to 29-May RHS Chelsea Flower Show at The Royal Hospital Chelsea

northeast@soldierscharity.org

9/10-Jun Beating Retreat by the Massed Bands of the Household

Division Sep (tbc) Clay Pigeon Shoot at West London Shooting School

7-Dec Carol Service at The Royal Hospital, Chelsea

25-Mar Centurions Dinner in Durham

27-Mar Book Launch at Houghton le Spring

5-Apr It’s a Knockout in Gateshead

19-Apr Mayors Event in Bradford

8-May Race Meeting at Thirsk Racecourse

14-May (tbc) Band concert in Ripon

16-May Abseil at Segedunum Fort

19/20 May Spring Fair at Hovingham Hall, York

31-May Yomp by 39 Regt at Hadrin’s Wall

14-Jun “Its Not a Clay Shoot” Wharfedale

26-Jun Beating Retreat at Ormesby Hall

27-Jun Sponsored Walk and Gala in Middlesbrough

4-Jul Abseil at Malmaison Hotel

Jul (tbc) Charity Golf Day in Driffield

13-Jul Salute our Heroes in Gateshead

15-Jul Battlefield Tour on Marston Moor

21-Jul Driffield Show

8-Sep Charity Golf Match at Linden Hall

19-Sep The Great North Run in Newcastle

28-Sep Race Day in Sedgefield

northwest@soldierscharity.org 28-Mar Big Curry at Monks Heath

11-Apr Big Curry at Warcop Training Camp, Cumbria

12/16 Apr Battlefield Tour of Belgium

23 to 25 Apr St George’s Day Festival Lytham Greenon

2-Jun Lord Lieutenant’s Champagne Reception in Leighton Hall, Nr Carnforth

13-Jun Garden Party at Crewe Hill, Chester

18-Jun Waterloo Dinner and Talk at Altcar Training Camp, Formby

5-Sep Buffet Lunch at Willington Hall, Chester

10-Sep Lord Lieutenant’s Reception and Beating Retreat at Sizergh Castle, nr Kendal

13-Mar Edinburgh University Reeling Club Ball at The Hub

scotland@soldierscharity.org

5-Mar Mar (tbc) Band Concert with The Band of Big Curry at Baker Barracks, The Brigade of Gurkha’s at The Thorney Island Duke of York’s Royal Military School, Dover

12-Mar Grand Military Race Meeting at Sandown Park Racecourse

17-Apr Big Curry at 47 Regt RA Officers Mess, Thorney Island

20-Jun Midsummer Charity Fair in conjunction with Sandhurst Heritage Day and College Sunday. RMA Sandhurst

7-Jul Reception and Beating Retreat by the Band of the Coldstream Guards at Charterhouse School, Godalming

10-Jul A Champagne Reception and a Beating Retreat by The Band of The Brigade of Gurkhas at Herstmonceaux Castle 23-Oct Big Curry at 47 Regt RA Officers Mess, Thorney Island

10-Jul Summer Garden Party at Court Barn, Chichester at Herstmonceaux Castle

3-Aug Charity Golf Day at Rye Golf Club

4-Sep Reception, Beating Retreat and Grand Charity Dinner at Laurenden Forstal, Challock

End Oct. Date TBC Big Curry at Baker Barracks Thorney Island

2/3-Oct Stand at the Autumn Show & Game Fair with the REME Band at The South of England Centre

Nov. Date TBC A Dinner and Evening with Lt Col Mike Martin “The History of the VC”

21-Nov Concert including a military band hosted by Chichester Festival Theatre

21-Nov Big Curry at 56 Signal Squadron (V) TA Centre, Eastbourne

24-Nov Classical Concert at The Yehudi Menuhin School. Stoke d’Abernon, Cobham

South WEST

southwest@soldierscharity.org

01392 492 650

5-Mar “Horse Warriors” A Celebration of India’s Last Active Mounted Cavalry Regiment

21-Mar 25-Mar Gurkha Bhat. A traditional Raceday at Chepstow Nepalese Big Curry at the Racecourse Officers’ Mess Blandford Camp

Apr (tbc) Big Curry at The Royal British Legion, Taunton

16-Apr “The Constable’s Dues” a talk by General Sir Roger Wheeler GCB,CBE, ADC at the Powell Theatre, Sherborne

20-May Annual Golf Day at Bristol & Clifton Golf Club

29-May Concert by the Band of the Royal Corps of Signals At Lighthouse, Poole

12-Jun The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Outdoor Theatre by the Rondo Theatre Group at Stoberry Park, Wells

12-Jun The Queen’s Birthday Beating Retreat and reception at the Bristol University Officers Training Corps Artillery Ground, Bristol

23-Jun Proms in the Park at Marazion Recreation Ground

22-Jul Real Ale Festival and Hog Roast at The Lawns, Westonsuper-Mare

24-Jul Last Night of the Proms concert by the Band of The Royal Corps of Signals in Wimborne Minster

31-Jul Band Concert featuring the Light Dragoons at Ivyclad Hall, Brent Knoll

8-Aug Cricket Match and Sounding the Retreat organised by Fowey Cricket Club

24-Oct Big Curry at Bristol & Clifton Golf Club

4-Nov Michaelmas Fair at Powderham Castle

18-Nov 8 Lives Down. The story of a high threat Bomb Disposal tour in Iraq by Major Chris Hunter QGM at The Crown Hotel, Blandford Forum

16-Dec Carol Service and Big Curry at Clifton College

3 to 5-Jul Armed Forces Gala Weekend at Marazion Recreation Ground

WEST

west@soldierscharity.org

22-May Military Ball in Warrington

17-Apr Talk and Supper by Patrick Hennessey author of ‘The Junior Officers’ Reading Club’ at Wycliffe College

May/Jun (tbc) Day on Salisbury Plain looking at the archaeology, flora and fauna at Westdown Camp and SPTA ( C )

30-May Larkhill RC Point to Point

7 Jul (tbc) Special out of hours Stonehenge visit

9-Jul Tour, reception and Beating Retreat at Berkeley Castle

30-Jul Golf Tournament at Naunton Downs Golf Club Nr Cheltenham

4-Aug Cricket, Beating Retreat and Reception at Cheltenham Cricket Festival

11/12-Sep Clay Shooting Weekend at Larkhill

28/29-Sep Early, Early Christmas Fair at Tedworth House, Tidworth

5-Oct Golf Tournament at Tidworth Garrison Golf Club

16-Oct(tbc) RGH Race Day at Cheltenham

20-Jun Tattoo at Haileybury with the Minden Band of The Queen’s Division

7-Sep Thursford Beating Retreat & Band Concert featuring the Band of The Grenadier Guards

7-Jul Rose Fund Service at the National Memorial Arboretum, near Lichfield

East Anglia

westmidlands@soldierscharity.org

12-Jul An evening race meeting at Dunstall Park Racecourse

WALES

wales@soldierscharity.org

01874 613 351

27-Feb St David’s Day Dinner, Monmouth

25-Mar Raceday at Chepstow Racecourse

16-Jul Andrew Salmon talk on the Battle of the Imjin River in Wrexham

8-May Rugby Match - The General’s 15 v’s The President’s 15 from Stirling County RFC

19-Jun Armed Forces Day event in Stirling

26-Jun Armed Forces Day event in Edinburgh and Glasgow

7-Mar (tbc) Norfolk Big Curry

15-May Hadleigh Show

10-Oct Big Curry at Defence Intelligence & Security Centre (DISC) Bedfordshire

21-Nov Suffolk Big Curry

Cyprus Jul (tbc) Glamorgan BBQ

27-Oct Pre Christmas Fair at Monmouth School for Girls

7-Nov Annual Big Curry at Corston House, Pembrokeshire

1-May Run and Ramble 10km crosscountry around local beauty spot Well of the Franks

23-Oct Concert in Worcester Cathedral with the Band of The Rifles

eastanglia@soldierscharity.org

0131310 5132

7-Apr May (tbc) D-Day Evening. A talk by PKAVS Party in the Park Brigadier Christopher Dunphie at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

01980 672 337

27-Feb Army Point to Point at Larkhill

West Midlands

01772 260 356

22-Feb Big Curry and Talk at The Castle, Chester

Scotland

01303 225067

01904 442 868

19-Feb Songs for our Soldiers – Concert and Dinner at Bingley

North West

southeast@soldierscharity.org

24-Oct (tbc) Big Curry at Officers Mess, 29 Regt RLC, South Cerney

01743 262 570 10-Dec Carol Concert in Hereford Cathedral

01206 817 105

21-May Beating Retreat and Concert featuring the Band of The Parachute Regiment at St Joseph’s College, Ipswich

5-Jun Southill House event with music by the Minden Band

EAST Midlands 6-Mar Leicester Tigers V London Irish

For full details on the events happening in your local region visit our website

soldierscharity.org

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ABF THE SOLDIERS’ CHARITY: FRONTLINE

REGIONAL ROUND UP London London have raised huge sums of money with exciting events such as the annual Carol Service which raised £22,000 and a fantastic donation of £10,000 from the AYR Group who featured The Soldiers’ Charity in their Christmas card.

Devon 2009 was a bumper year that saw Devon raising just over £82,000. Street collections have also held up extremely well and topped over £17,500, an unprecedented 70% increase over last year.

Cyprus Brigadier (Retired) Howard Jordan late RASC and his wife Pat, open their grounds to the public each spring, providing visitors with a snack lunch and free horticultural advice.

200 attendees raised €800 in 2009.

Dorset Major event ‘A Salute to the British Soldier’ concert held in Sherborne Abbey was a sell out with 900 attendees, raising over £12,000 and greatly raising the profile of the charity.

East Midlands The East Midlands had another recordbreaking year with over 25 different events including Beating Retreats, Big Curries, and two Charity Bridge Days. All events have been well supported with numbers attending up on previous years.

North East The final major event of 2009 was a Regimental Boxing Night between the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment and the Yorkshire Regiment, including a black tie dinner and auction which raised £155,000.

West Sussex The 47th Regiment Royal Artillery was the first Gunner regiment to be awarded The Soldiers’ Charity prestigious Carrington Drum for its contribution to fundraising.

The Annual Summer Garden Party raised £8,000.

Bristol More than 200 guests enjoyed afternoon tea during an August Garden Party hosted by Bristol’s High Sheriff, Dr Timothy Chambers.

The event raised £4,500 for The Soldiers’ Charity. Bristol raised more than £64,000, nearly double the previous year.

East Anglia Once again the region hosted a wide variety of events, raising significant amounts of money. Essex alone raised a budget-busting £42,000 and Suffolk raised £23,000.

East Sussex 450 people attended a one-off racing event very kindly hosted and organised by Plumpton Race Course. Lunch, an auction and raffle raised over £200,000 for The Soldiers’ Charity and Sandy Gall’s Afghan Appeal.

North West The North West are delighted to confirm that they are to be BAE Systems Charity Partner for the next 2 years for its Lancashire sites.

The first Lytham St Anne’s St George’s Day Festival raised £5,000.

Somerset Colonel Christopher Price, a member of the Somerset Committee, rode 922 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats supported by his wife Rosemary, raising an enormous £10,000.

Surrey Surrey welcomes Mr Eric Stuart-Bamford as their new Chair, and thanks Colonel Tony Ward for the last five years.

A whopping £17,000 was raised at The Soldiers’ Charity Musical Reception, and £10,000 at Sandhurst’s Charity Fair.

Scotland Colonel Lorraine Kelly of the Black Watch ACF presented a cheque in December to The Soldiers’ Charity on behalf of 225 (Scottish) Medical Regiment (Volunteers) at Oliver Barracks who had been fundraising all year.

Wales 2009 saw £76,000 raised net of costs, up a massive 20% on the 2008. Key events including Glamorgan’s BBQ and Garden Party have raised about £30,000, with street collections raising a further £5,200.

West 2009’s Early, Early Christmas Fair was the most successful fundraising event, making just over £40,000. The Soldiers’ Charity was also chosen to be the Charity of the Year at The Mitsubishi Badminton Horse Trials in 2009.

West Midlands Wolverhampton racecourse allowed the Staffordshire committee to hold a very successful sponsored race day in August and street collections in Warwick and Worcester, to coincide with the Queen’s Royal Hussars return from Iraq, raised substantial sums.

Cornwall The staggering amount of £1,123 was collected by Alastair Adams and his team during a single day in December at Tesco in Truro in what must be a record for Cornwall.

Germany Members of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards completed three marathons in three days in order to raise funds. Congratulations also to ten of the ARRC Support Battalion Engineer Troop RE who returned to the UK to walk the Coast to Coast Challenge.

Home Counties Fundraising has held up well during the recession and the Home Counties are on track to exceed their target for 2009 of £200,000. Tributes have been paid to Hampshire Committee’s Secretary, Brian Coombes, who sadly died.

Kent Generous donations from the public that cheered their soldiers at freedom parades throughout Kent towns, plus the money raised from a 300 mile charity cycle ride by members of PWRR, raised a total of over £35,000.

For a full events calendar, please turn to pages 12 and 13.

YOUR SUPPORT GIVES THEM SUPPORT Visit soldierscharity.org Call 0845 241 4820

To find out Kate’s story visit soldierscharity.org

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ABF THE SOLDIERS’ CHARITY: FRONTLINE#ISSUE 01

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Coldstream Guards March One hundred soldiers defied freezing weather by undertaking a monthlong march across the country. The troops from Number Seven Company, Coldstream Guards, began their trek to London from Coldstream in the Scottish Borders in heavy snowfall on the 6th January.

The soldiers followed in the footsteps of General George Monck, the Founder of the Regiment, who led an army on the same route during the English Civil War. Monck led 6,000 men, part of Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army, on the march to Parliament 350 years ago. When their military activities allowed, The Coldstream Guards raised money for The Soldiers’ Charity and the Coldstream charity.

The 425-mile route took 25 days to finish and went through Berwick-uponTweed, Newcastle, Durham, York, Selby, Doncaster, Worksop, Mansfield, Loughborough, Market Harborough in Leicestershire, Northampton, Milton Keynes, Dunstable, St Albans, Barnet and Woolwich in London. To donate please visit: justgiving.com/coldstreammarch

The British Military Tournament We are hoping to announce shortly that in response to strong public demand, and with approval from the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir David Richards, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity will present The British Military Tournament at Earls Court, London on 4th and 5th December 2010.

iNTERTAIN / Highlights iNTERTAIN held a fundraising weekend on the 8th/9th January across ten of their chain of comedy clubs, ‘Famous For Comedy’, coinciding with the re-launch of Jongleurs under its new name, Highlight.

All of the club managers and staff went out of their way to raise money for The Soldiers’ Charity, organising a raffle, collection and selling wristbands over both nights. A VIP table for ten tickets for each night was given free to soldiers. The soldiers who attended wore uniform highlighting the cause and really helping to boost donations.

Feedback from the soldiers who attended has been very positive, all expressing how much fun they had on the night. They also wanted to compliment Highlight’s fantastic staff and great comedians! Representatives from the Grenadier Guards attended the Camden club, staff from the Chief of General Staff’s

office attended the Battersea event and soldiers from the Household Calvary went along to Reading.

iNTERTAIN Chief Operating Officer Simon Kaye said: “We were delighted to be able to support the brilliant work of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity on the launch night of ‘Famous For Comedy’. It was great to be joined by so many serving soldiers on the evening, and we look forward to seeing the total amount raised for such a worthy cause”.

We are pleased to announce that iNTERTAIN will be supporting us again in April during the month of The Big Curry. For more information about Famous for Comedy please see their website famousforcomedy.co.uk

The event will bring back to life many of the exciting elements of the hugely popular Royal Tournament which ran for 119 years and was last seen by the public in 1999. The programme will recreate episodes in the history of the British Army from the Civil War right through to the present day and much of the show will be focused on the Army of today including a realistic presentation of a combat incident in Afghanistan.

We hope over 50,000 people will see the live programme over four performances and it is anticipated that one of the performances will be televised making it more accessible and available to a much wider, international audience. Please keep visiting soldierscharity.org for more details and information on how to buy tickets. With all proceeds going to The Soldiers’ Charity this is a must see event.

Holts Tours Holts Tours are delighted to be supporting the ABF The Soldiers’ Charity during 2010. They are the UK’s leading history and battlefield tour company, and have been organising tours around the world for the past 30 years.

They specialise in bringing history to life by taking travellers to where all the great battles and events took place – only by being there can you begin to grasp thecomplexities and realities of events. In the company of experienced historians and battlefield guides, they strive to make some sense of these great battles of history: the tactics and strategies, the human sacrifices, bravery, the mistakes, the successes, the defeats and the victories. Tours Director, Colonel Simon Doughty said, “it’s entirely appropriate that we should be supporting The Soldiers’ Charity this year, since the Servicemen and women of today are facing just as many challenges and dangers as those soldiers of the past”.

Full details of their wide-ranging 2010 tour programme can be found at: W holts.co.uk T 01293 865000 F 01293 863312

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2009 Round Up

The Soldiers

Tesco also got behind The Soldiers’ Charity in 2009, following an unprecedented swell of support from staff all over the UK.

Stores really threw themselves into the spirit of things. Just a few of the many events that took place were Copdock Tesco staging a very popular game of Gunk the Manager, Sudbury Tesco setting up a slice of the front line complete with sandbags and Formby Tesco convincing the manager to sit in a bath of baked beans all day!

The Soldiers – Sergeant Major Gary Chilton, Sergeant Richie Maddocks and Lance Corporal Ryan Idzi

In 2009 The Soldiers swept to fame with a platinum selling album, Coming Home, and massive selling singles Coming Home and A Soldier’s Christmas Letter. From standing ovations at The Royal Albert Hall, to a facebook page that gets thousands of hits a day, their success is testament to the support that the public have for our Armed Forces.

The trio, who are all still serving, are Sergeant Major Gary Chilton, Sergeant Richie Maddocks and Lance Corporal Ryan Idzi. They are incredibly supportive of The Soldiers’ Charity and with CPW Productions and Warner Music have so far donated over £10,000 with more to follow.

We are absolutely delighted that they are supporting The Soldiers’ Charity. As they told Frontline “We are very proud to be raising funds for The Soldiers’ Charity. The Soldiers’ Charity’s work is vitally important, ensuring that not only serving soldiers but also veterans who have fallen on hard times receive the help they so badly need. Please join us in helping where you can”.

Catch them on tour in March or April at one of the venues below. Tickets are available from ticketmaster.co.uk or by calling the National Credit Card Hotlines – 0844 888 9991 / 0844 576 5483.

Tue 16 March Wed 17 March Thu 18 March Sat 20 March Sun 21 March Tue 23 March Wed 24 March Thu 25th March Fri 26 March Sun 28 March Mon 29 March Wed 31 March Thu 01 April Sat 03 April Sun 04 April Mon 05 April Wed 07 April Thu 08 April Fri 09 April Sun 11 April Tue 13 April Thu 15 April Fri 16 April

Sheffield City Hall Oxford New Theatre Brighton Dome Leicester De Montfort Hall Manchester Bridgewater Hall Nottingham RCH Ipswich Regent Theatre Liverpool Empire Fareham Ferneham Hall Swindon Oasis Bristol Colston Hall Bournemouth Pavilion Cardiff St David’s Hall Southend Cliffs Pavillion London Royal Albert Hall Northampton Derngate Birmingham Symphony Glasgow RCH Newcastle City Hall Dumfries DG One Rhyl Pavilion Skegness Embassy Centre Lowestoft Marina Theatre

For more details visit the-soldiers.co.uk

01142 789 789 0844 847 1585 01273 709 709 0116 233 3111 0161 907 9000 0115 989 5555 01473 433 100 0844847 2525 01329 231942 01793 445401 0117 922 3686 0844 576 3000 02920 878 444 01702 351 135 0207 589 8212 01604 624811 0121 780 3333 0141 353 8000 0191 261 2606 01387 243 550 01745 330 000 0845 674 0505 01502 533 200

We are most grateful to our volunteers the Cadets and personnel both from the Regular and Territorial Army from across the country who turned up in uniform ready to rally round and raise money for their charity.

Tesco staff and customers really did The Soldiers’ Charity proud, raising a

A Musical Tribute to our Forces 2009 saw some particularly fantastic fundraising events taking place. We would like to give enormous thanks to everyone involved and pay tribute to their efforts by highlighting some of them over the next couple of pages.

A Musical Tribute to our Forces was a storming success in October 2009 with a full house at the beautiful Salisbury Cathedral. Soprano sensation Hayley Westenra was a star performer, whose album “Pure” was the best selling classical album of the 21st Century. Also gracing the stage were all-female string quartet Raven and The Royal Artillery Band and Orchestra conducted by Major Tim Arnold.

The concert was organised by Penny Brown from The Soldiers’ Charity who is also a Salisbury city councillor. As well as raising money for the charity one of her aims was to show how well the service charities work together, with profits also going to SSAFA Forces Help and Combat Stress. A grand total of £30,500 was raised for the three charities.

Operatic and classical favourites such as Ave Maria were mixed with recent pop hits such as Take That’s Shine and Human by The Killers, showing the relevance of our work to young and old alike. It was a truly sensational evening which finished with an equally sensational standing ovation.

massive £490,010 setting a record as the largest amount of money ever raised in a single event for the charity and the second highest for Tesco! If proof were ever needed of the huge support for soldiers and their families across the UK, it seems we have found it. Many thanks to Tesco and all who took part.

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Triple Crown Challenge A team of six intrepid cyclists from 7 Air Assault Battalion, REME cycled 1,000 miles in just ten days last September to raise £3,500 for The Soldiers’ Charity and East Anglian Air Ambulance, the route taking them over a distance of 1,000 miles from Wellington Barracks in London to Edinburgh and Cardiff between the 7th and 16th September.

Charity Cricket Match We were delighted that Her Majesty The Queen joined The Soldiers’ Charity supporters to watch a fun filled day of 20/20 Cricket in the grounds of Windsor Castle last summer, where The Soldiers’ Charity ‘Past and Present’ played against the Royal Household Cricket Club (RHCC).

Early, Early Christmas Fair Record numbers came through the door of the 2009 Early, Early Christmas Fair held at Tedworth House, Tidworth, Wiltshire at the end of September.

Raising over £40,000, 450 people attended the preview and over 1300 attended on the Wednesday, making it the biggest fair to date.

Thank you to all the sponsors especially Aspire Defence and Sodexo Defence. Thanks also to all advertisers, stall holders, visitors and the soldiers who work so hard to support this event.

RHCC players snatched victory away from The Soldiers’ Charity team towards the end of the game, but given that the losing team was composed of retired Army players with a (ahem) slightly older age range, they were noble in defeat!

The Soldiers’ Charity patron, Her Majesty the Queen took time to talk to guests and have her photo taken with the teams. After the match a Beating Retreat was held on the cricket ground by the Band of the Blues & Royals. The salute was taken by Hon. Mrs Mary Bayliss, The Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire.

Photos from the day are available at Mike Norman’s website theimagefile.com/web/mikenorman, password CRICQU. Please be sure to mention The Soldiers’ Charity in the comments section of the online checkout as we receive a generous £1 for every photo purchased.

over £40,000 raised

Despite the long distances covered, they arrived on schedule at Edinburgh Castle and Cardiff. The final leg took them back to London and Wellington Barracks where they arrived punctually at 5pm on 16th September and were presented with the Archant Triple Crown Challenge Trophy donated by the event’s principal sponsor, Archant Ltd.

“The Soldiers’ Charity has been helping us for years” said team captain WO2 Liam Condron. “It has a great track record of being in the right place at the right time.”

The Ideal Home Show We are delighted to announce that The Soldiers’ Charity will be working in partnership with The Ideal Home Show, to launch the ‘Ideal Homes for Heroes Appeal’ this March.

The Ideal Home Show, Britain’s most loved homes event is returning for its 102nd year this March. Building on its traditional values, this year’s show will revisit an original 1920’s concept where, after the First World War, the show hosted a competition for ideal (Workers) Homes. This theme could not have been more popular, since the Housing Act of 1919 had promised ‘homes fit for heroes’ to reward soldiers, munitions workers and their families with better standards of living.

Today, working in partnership with The Soldiers’ Charity, the Ideal Home Show, is looking to support our troops once again, by launching the new ‘Ideal Homes for Heroes Appeal’, a fundraising initiative with the aim of raising funds for home adaptations, home improvements and those with mental health issues.

We are appealing to the public to help us raise £100,000 to make Homes fit for Heroes - 50p from the sale of every ticket to the Ideal Home Show in 2010 will go to the ‘Ideal Homes for Heroes Appeal’, raising money for further grants, helping The Soldiers’ Charity reach it’s fundraising target for 2010/2011.

The Ideal Home Show Director Lee Newton said: “The Ideal Home Show has always been a British institution going back to

WW1. The show has always worked closely with the Armed Forces and its servicemen and women, actively seeking initiatives that make a difference to the lives of our heroes. We are extremely pleased to be able to give our backing to this scheme.”

The Ideal Home Show opens on the 20th March and runs until 5th April 2010. Monday 22nd March is a dedicated Troops Day, which sees the launch of the ‘Ideal Homes for Heroes Appeal’ and a celebration of our Troops through a series of activities from military shows, displays, a British Street Party and bands, to mark the start of this 17 day nationwide fundraising drive.

In addition, the Ideal Home Show is also offering free tickets through ticketsfortroops.org.uk, allowing all servicemen and women to claim 2 FREE tickets for any one day of the show, which runs from the 20th March to 5th April at Earls Court, London. Attendance on the Troops Day in uniform is positively encouraged.

For those non military personnel, to purchase tickets for the Ideal Home Show 2010, please visit idealhomeshow.co.uk or by calling the Ticket Hotline on 0844 415 4144. For more information or to donate to the appeal please visit either soldierscharity.org or idealhomeshow.co.uk.

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Fundraisers 2009 was another fantastic fundraising year for The Soldiers’ Charity, with our wonderful supporters participating in an array of marathons, challenges and other exciting events. Thank you to all of you for your brilliant efforts which will directly benefit soldiers and their families. If you are inspired by the stories below and would like to take up a similar challenge then please call Kirsty Irvine on 0845 034 7966 and help make a difference to those most in need. To get involved locally, please visit soldierscharity.org/about-us/contact-us for details of your local fundraiser.

OVER £4,500 RAISED Support Our Troops Challenge: Lands End to John O’Groats Yorkshire lads Andy North and Dave Edwards are attempting to complete 12 full marathons and 12 x 80 mile bike rides, in order to raise money for The Soldiers’ Charity. They will be racing against the clock as they intend to carry out this gruelling 1,200 mile challenge in just 12 days. In their words ‘Many people would like to help our

Airborne Trek for The Soldiers’ Charity During September 2009 a team of friends and colleagues from Warwickshire took part in the 63rd Annual Airborne trek in Oosterbeek, Holland raising over £4,500 in donations. The trek, held in commemoration of the Allied Airborne soldiers who jumped into battle on 17 September 1944, had

They perform displays throughout the country and are led by Sergeant Dave Clarke, who is a British Parachute Association Advance Instructor and Army Parachute Association Jumpmaster.

Are you looking to get fit? Lose weight?

Do something exciting and different?

Whilst helping to raise vital funds for The Soldiers’ Charity?

Find out more about how to raise money for The Soldiers’ Charity at: thetigersfft.co.uk

In 2011 why not join Team The Soldiers’ Charity and climb Mount Kilimanjaro or trek on the Great Wall of China and fundraise the extreme way! Alternatively join one of over 100 adventurous

email kirvine@soldierscharity.org

Calling all own place Virgin London Marathon Runners!

Want to help soldiers and their families in need? Run for us, and do your part for The Soldiers’ Charity

Phil’s Forces Fund For Phil Fanthome, one of The Soldiers’ Charity’s top fundraisers, 2009 has been an incredible action packed year.

By participating in a wide variety of events including the London Marathon, 3 Peaks Challenge and Red Devils Skydive, Phil has raised over £2,049 in donations for The Soldiers’ Charity. Whilst recovering from horrific injuries he received during a grenade attack in Afghanistan in 2006, Phil witnessed first hand the valuable support provided by The Soldiers’ Charity to Army personnel so has since dedicated his

free time to fundraising.He says: ‘I chose to support The Soldiers’ Charity because they support the serving and ex-serving members of the Army in times of need as well as the wounded in the current conflicts’.

2010 promises to be another adrenaline filled year for Phil so to help him reach his fundraising target of £4,000 please visit: facebook.com/group.php?gid=26335393030

special poignancy for the team. They walked in memory of Private Joe Whittaker, who was sadly killed in operations in Helmand Province, June 2008. A huge thank you to Mike Vallance and congratulations to all the team for their wonderful efforts.

brave soldiers when they return to the UK and for this reason we have devised a challenge to raise a large amount of vital income’. Taking place in May this year, you can support the lads by joining them en-route by calling 07879 628 486 or by visiting yorkshireduo.co.uk. Good luck to both fundraisers for this extraordinary challenge.

ING New York Marathon 2009 Our supporters from both sides of the Atlantic ran the 40th New York Marathon in November, raising funds and awareness for The Soldiers’ Charity. Braving the rain and freezing cold, our runners set off from Staten Island and were supported by a cheering crowd of 45,000 all the way to the

The Soldiers’ Charity are delighted to announce their sponsorship of The Tigers, the flagship team for the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment.

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Visit soldierscharity.org or contact Kirsty Irvine on 0845 034 7966 kirvine@soldierscharity.org

finish line in Central Park. One of our runners, Aileen Griffiths, said ‘It was a job well done, and we were elated to have finished’. The Soldiers’ Charity would like to congratulate and thank all our runners who participated in this incredible event and raised money for soldiers in need.

challenges around the world including treks, bike rides, mountain climbs and skydives. The challenges last from one day to 18 days, have three levels of difficulty, and take place in more than 30 countries worldwide. We will support you with fundraising ideas and advice, and you will also get help with the fitness training and expedition preparation.

Make the decision to make a difference to the lives of our soldiers and their families this coming year. For more information, please contact Kirsty Irvine at: kirvine@soldierscharity.org or by calling 0845 034 7966

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Value for Valour Value for Valour (V4V) was the brainchild of a young medic, Captain Nicola Rush, who approached Ascot Racecourse with the idea of offering reduced price entry for Army personnel and their families.

Whether your sport of choice includes galloping hooves, flying footballs or speedy pucks there will be an offer to suit you.

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Trophies

With the enthusiastic support of Ascot, The Soldiers’ Charity has now signed up a wide range of sports stadiums and racecourses across the country. To check on new additions and details of how to book, please visit soldierscharity.org.

Calling all Army and Cadet fundraisers! Now is your chance to really show us your fundraising skills. To add some extra incentive to the already satisfying job of raising money for The Soldiers’ Charity, we are now offering the chance to win two fantastic trophies to recognize and reward your efforts.

Current participants are: Racecourses: Ascot, Kempton Park, Plumpton, Nottingham, Market Rasen, Brighton, Bath, Chepstow, Ffos Las, Fontwell, Great Yarmouth, Hereford, Newcastle, Sedgefield, Uttoxeter, Wolverhampton Football: AFC Flyde, Leyton Orient, Oxford United, Reading Ice Hockey: Basingstoke Bison, Bracknell Bees

Offers

Sweethearts Calendar: The New Year may be in full swing, but it is never to late to buy a stylish Sweethearts Calendar.

Now at the special price of just £5.

Clothing: The Soldiers’ Charity has a range of clothing and accessories through Smart Turnout. Scarves, ties, cufflinks, socks, watches and best of all, dog leads!

All in our characteristic colours.

Baxterbear: Baxterbear is a small bear with a big story. He joined the recent

Coldstream Guards march from Scotland to London. £4 from every bear purchased on line will go to The Soldiers’ Charity!

For more details on all of our gifts - and more - visit our shop at soldierscharity.org Special offer: everlasting.uk.com is a special place to celebrate and remember a loved one – forever. Creating an online tribute is free and special books can be printed containing your memories from £50 each.

Everlasting will donate a free book to the next of kin of any member of the armed forces who has died whilst on active service.

Please contact enquiries@everlasting.co.uk with the details of your tribute. everlasting. uk.com is proud to support The Soldiers Charity.

Did you know? A free full Oyster Card is available to anyone in receipt of an ongoing payment under the War Pensions Scheme or Armed Forces Compensation scheme.

Details can be found at tfl.gov.uk

Carrington Drum (1) The prestigious Carrington Drum is open to all units and sub-units of the Regular and Territorial Army. We are looking for a unit that raises a large amount of money, with extra points being awarded for creativity. The Drum stays in the winning unit for a year and will be personalised with your unit name.

2009 Carrington Drum Winners 47th Regiment Royal Artillery raised a massive £26,000 in 2009.

They used their imagination to the full; not content with just running the Great South Run, they also decided to pull a truck behind them!

Thank you to all for such a fantastic effort.

There were 15 citations that reached the judges and all had great merit. Next to 47 Regt RA were 32 Regt RA, 23 Pnr Regt, 104 Regt RA, AFC Harrogate and 2 Signal Regt who, between them, raised a further £80,000. It was a truly outstanding year – but let’s see if we can beat it in 2010! The Army is brilliant at its job; soldiers are also brilliant at helping their mates who need it.

Revision Trophy (2) The brand new Revision Trophy will be awarded annually to the Army Cadet Force unit that makes the greatest contribution to fundraising for The Soldiers’ Charity. As with the Carrington Drum, the judging criteria are both the amount raised and the originality of the effort.

Time to get those thinking hats on!

Entering for either the Carrington Drum or the Revision Trophy is simple. Just go to soldierscharity.org and download an application form by 2nd April 2010.

The Soldiers’ Charity wants only the best for ourfriends and supporters. As such we have a range of gifts available and also few special offers.

Shop Highlights: Sketches from Afghanistan: A book of stunning sketches by the artist Matthew Cook. The drawings are based on Matthew’s two military tours of the country and has a foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales.

Music: Buy one of The Soldiers CDs or the debut album from 13-year old singing sensation Olivia.

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ABF The Soldiers' Charity

Keeping in touch

Please tick if you would like to know more about:

Making a regular gift through a Bank Standing Order - they really help us plan our work

ABF The Soldiers' Charity will not pass your details to other organisations but does hold and use data you have supplied for administration purposes and to keep you informed of fundraising activities and our work. If you prefer not to receive this information, please tick this box.

Regular giving from your payroll or occupational pension

If you prefer not to receive this newsletter please tick this box.

Leaving ABF The Soldiers' Charity a gift in your Will - any amount will be very welcome

Don't forget to amend your name and address on the reverse if necessary.

Please return this completed coupon in the envelope provided to:

Setting up a Memorial Tribute Rose Fund - in memory of a departed loved one

Fay Ponikowski Donor Development Manager ABF The Soldiers' Charity Mountbarrow House 6-20 Elizabeth Street London SW1W 9RB

Volunteering your time for ABF The Soldiers' Charity - we have dozens of committees all over the UK who are always looking for individuals to help organise local events Fundraising - tick here or download a fundraising pack from our website for more fundraising ideas

Fill in your email address to receive the e-newsletter and keep up to date with all the latest news from The Soldiers' Charity.

How to become a community fundraiser locally Email:

soldierscharity.org

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Donate in your Will

ABF THE SOLDIERS’ CHARITY: FRONTLINE#ISSUE 01

The Soldiers’ Charity faces an unprecedented demand for help from members of the Army family in dire need.

Just a few years ago, we were working in a completely different military climate.

None of us could have predicted the hardship that would arise in the army community and the escalating costs of meeting that need.

As a result of a greater awareness of the charity’s benevolence we have had to radically alter our analysis of the future demand for our help.

The Charity now finds itself contemplating an extremely uncomfortable medium term prospect: the next ten to twenty years promise to be very testing ones.

By remembering The Soldiers’ Charity in your Will you will join us in our firm resolution: that no-one who calls on us for help should be turned away.

For further information please contact: Fay Ponikowski on 0845 241 4828.

YOUR SUPPORT GIVES THEM SUPPORT If you would like to make a donation, please fill out this form.

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Please return all completed forms to: Fay Ponikowski ABF The Soldiers' Charity, Mountbarrow House, 6-20 Elizabeth Street, London. SW1W 9RB Cheques should be made payable to ABF The Soldiers' Charity.

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