Edition 58
As a valued supporter, we are pleased to bring you up-to-speed with a weekly round-up of activities from RMA – The Royal Marines Charity and the wider Corps Family.
This week, we begin to share the news of some high-profile Charity appointments; mourn the passing of one of the last D-Day heroes; show how the weather and extreme challenges failed to dampen spirits including those of some very generous donors, volunteers and the Corps Family – and highlight a much-awaited Government Action Plan.
Thank you so much for your continued support.
Introducing the first of our new Ambassadors…
In recent months, we have been busy recruiting new Ambassadors for the Charity and are delighted to start introducing them to you.
Today, we name the first of the truly outstanding individuals who, over the coming weeks and months, will be joining our existing and equally eminent and well-known Ambassadors – Lee Spencer BEM, and actor Henry Cavill.
We are therefore thrilled to announce that the inspirational and former Royal Marines Officer Jon White, the most seriously injured Commando to have survived the infamous Operation HERRICK 12 tour in Afghanistan in 2007, has agreed to become an Ambassador and officially represent RMA – The Royal Marines Charity.
He is now an internationally sought-after inspirational and motivational speaker, property developer and talented kayaker, competing across three disciplines, sprint, marathon, and ocean and is currently training for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris. He is also no stranger to the media and has been featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs and BBC 2’s Commando: Britain’s Ocean Warriors.
Having joined the Royal Marines in 2002, Jon quickly rose through the ranks when, as a Captain in command of Reconnaissance Troop 40 Cdo on his second Operational Tour of Afghanistan, he stepped on a Pressure Plate Improvised Explosive Device and lost three limbs.
RMA – The Royal Marines Charity has remained by Jon’s side over the intervening years. However, as well as being a beneficiary, he continually helps to promote the Charity, is an integral part of our Commando Mindset team and, to date, has personally fundraised some £22,000.
In commenting on his new role, Jon said: “RMA – The Royal Marines Charity has been the safety net I needed throughout my recovery and resettlement post injury. I have experienced and witnessed their great work and have been delighted to raise money for them. I’m now honoured to become an Ambassador.”
Extreme sports
Forty-three ‘wannabe’ Royal Marines Commandos turned up to be well and truly put through their paces by a Royal Marines’ PTI (Physical Training Instructors) team at last week’s sold-out Commando Training Challenge.
Those taking part were put to the test over the RMs gruelling Endurance Course at Woodbury Common and the infamous ‘Bottom Field’ Assault Course at Lympstone’s Commando Training Centre Royal Marines in Devon.
At the end of the long and tiring day, there were lots of tired, muddy but very happy faces having squared up to and conquered many physical and mental fears – and having had an incredible time to boot!
The result of the fundraising was incredible, too, and is looking to top £18,000 (with Gift Aid).
A huge thank you to everyone who took part – and well done. A special shout out to our generous long-time corporate supporters, Patron Capital, who entered the largest squad of the day and raised almost £4,500!
Congratulations and thanks, too, to Lyndsey Egan from Southampton (pictured top 2nd left with Vicki Drinkwater, Charity Fundraising Manager) who was the ‘Top Individual Fundraiser’, raising over £1,200, followed closely by Team Patron’s Emilio Cereijo from Barcelona. Well done, also, to ‘Good Egg’ winner and local resident, Will Harvey, who went out of his way to support his fellow participants whenever possible (top 4th right); the ‘Fastest Man’, Rowan Boddington from Cambridgeshire who made it around the Bottom Field in 2m53s (top left); the ‘Fastest Woman’, Amy Cox from Ivybridge and ‘Fastest Over-40’ from Worcester, Chris Jenkinson. All those taking part received a commemorative medal and certificate to mark their outstanding achievement in having finished and survived the daunting challenge!
We are also indebted to CTCRM PTIs, Ben Clough (pictured above at prize-giving) and Paul Spacagna for putting everyone through their paces with ultimate patience and good humour throughout – and of course, to CTCRM for supporting the Challenge and allowing us such privileged access to their two legendary facilities that made the day such a great success.
Photos courtesy of South West Photography Solutions
Tribute to D-Day Marine
“We have lost one of our finest.”
Following the death of former serving Royal Marine Ted Owens (98), the Royal Navy News reports this was the simple but heartfelt tribute paid to him by Naval Regional Commander for Wales and Western England, Brigadier Jock Fraser RM, whose team frequently met and worked with the Normandy veteran.
In reporting on the passing of this courageous veteran – who is believed to have been the last man who was wounded in action on June 6, 1944 to have still been alive – the article goes on to detail his brush with death on D-Day as ‘the first of three occasions when he was wounded helping to liberate western Europe from the Nazi yoke.
Born in Pembroke Dock, Ted volunteered for the elite 41 Commando Royal Marines and was just 19 when he went into action with them on Sword Beach in Normandy on ‘the longest day’.
Upon demobilisation he returned to his hometown and re-joined the fire brigade with whom he’d served before his Royal Marines duties.
His wartime service and attendance at high-profile events made Ted something of a celebrity both in his hometown in Pembroke Dock and beyond.’
RMA – The Royal Marines Charity joins the entire Royal Marines Family in mourning his passing and offers its deepest condolences to his family and friends. Rest in peace, Royal.
Come rain or shine….
The atrocious weather at the weekend did little to dampen the spirits of those Corps families in Plymouth who braved the wind and rain to enjoy the fun and games at 30 Cdo’s Family Day at RM Stonehouse.
The Royal Marines Commando children attending were just some of the 2,000+ in the South West of England that this summer are benefitting through the generous £15k donation to RMA – The Royal Marines Charity from the Advanta Foundation to fund three Unit Families’ Days. It is a charity set up by the wealth-management company, Advanta Wealth Ltd and the Corps and members of our Health & Wellbeing team were especially delighted to welcome two of its representatives to Saturday’s event.
Advanta Foundation’s Committee chair, Gillian Piggot (pictured left; and right, with colleague Sophia Christopher; Captain Mike Bamber; and Jim Morris, Transition Support Officer South RMA – The Royal Marines Charity) said: “We had a really great day! The weather was wild and unfortunately some of the stuff that had been planned like the bouncy castle couldn’t take place as winds were too high. However, everyone made the most of it and there were still loads of fun things. Everyone just got on with it with a smile on their face as you would expect from a commando unit! We got such a warm welcome. They hosted us so well and it was fantastic to hear first-hand how much the donation meant to the Unit.”
Celebrating the HighGround
Zoe Darnbrough, RMA – The Royal Marines Charity’s Head of Employment and Education had the pleasure of attending the 10th anniversary celebrations of charity partner, HighGround (pictured above left with Founder and Executive Director, Anna Baker Creswell).
HighGround helps Service leavers, Reservists and Veterans to work out what military skills and experience they have, how this can help them map into the land-based sector, and how to access the many opportunities it offers for employment and self-employment.
On page 17 of our latest Impact Report, you can read about the two former RM Recruits who last year, having been unable to complete RM training, attended a residential HighGround Rural week at Devon’s Bicton College. It was here that they both discovered a passion for tree surgery and have since embarked on new careers with Hi-Line, one of the UK’s leading tree surgery and management companies.
Bites, boats and bombs
Now back on the deepest Delta of the Danube, intrepid former serving Royal Marine, John Holden, continues to battle valiantly with the intense heat and swarms of vicious mosquitos as he ticks off the final 175km of his 2,400km ‘Big Blue Danube’ kayak challenge. He is fast heading towards Selena, vying with the many large ships plying the waterways along the way, and not looking forward to having to paddle past Reni, the southern-most port of the Ukraine, which was recently attacked by drones because of the transportation of grain, so, he says, ‘ a fast and quick kayak past is in order’.
We are in awe of his amazing tenacity – and wish him safe home after he has taken a few days of rest and relaxation.
John is fundraising for three charities, including RMA – The Royal Marines Charity.
Bucket brigade comes up trumps
Some of our Membership team recently joined volunteers from the Romford Royal Marines Association’s Branch on one of their weekend fundraising collection at their local Tesco supermarket. It was hugely successful and Branch Chairman, Les Wright (pictured middle) reported that ‘again the public generosity to our Royal Marines was truly humbling. We again collected for two days and raised a fantastic £2,443, beating our May collection during which we raised £1,861’.
Enormous thanks to everyone involved for their kindness, generosity and the time given in raising such much-needed funds that will help the Charity continue to offer life-long support to the Corps Family.
LGBT Veterans Independent Review
In January 2022, the Government published the ‘Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan: 2022 to 2024’, which committed to ‘… deliver an independent review into the impact of pre-2000 practices on LGBT veterans’. To deliver this, Defence and the Office for Veterans’ Affairs co-commissioned the LGBT Veterans Independent Review, chaired by Lord Etherton, in 2022.
The Review’s final report provides the Government with a better understanding of the experiences, impacts and implications of the policy including several recommendations for its consideration.