Editon 76
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, the news we share here not only shows the extent of the lifelong services offered by our teams working on behalf of the entire Corps Family, but also indicates the supreme generosity and commitment we are so fortunate to receive from our many fundraisers and supporters, without whom it would not be possible.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

Last month, our Health and Wellbeing team processed 58 welfare and benevolence grants totalling almost £76,000 awarded to 53 RM veterans and serving personnel along with payment to several partner organisations for specialist services such as counselling and therapy programmes.
Awards to beneficiaries included funeral costs to support the wife of a former RM who recently passed away and who is in financial difficulty; a grant to a serving RM with neurological disorder to help him relocate, and a steroid injection for former RM who – due to an accident during training – suffers from spinal stress fractures.
Our Addiction Intervention team has dealt with 42 new referrals this year; 63 beneficiaries are currently receiving support via our Veterans Mental Health Referral Pathway; the Employment & Education team is working on 69 active cases; our Transition staff have a current caseload of 48 beneficiaries – and the Pensions and AFCS (Armed Forces Compensation Scheme) team is working through 85 active cases.
In addition, the RMA Membership team supported 18 funerals, and hosted six reunions for 130+ RM veterans.
Shoulders to the wheel

We have been delighted to hear this week that Jim Morris (pictured right), RMA – The Royal Marines Charity’s Transition Support Officer South (and Wales) and former Royal Marine – who is dauntless in his determination to finish cycling 1,664 miles by 21st December 2023 – has reached (and hoping to now surpass!) a key milestone.
He says: “The challenge is going really well, and with only 142 miles left to ride, I hope to finish it by this Sunday, subject to any really bad weather coming in. And the total donated is actually now £1,664.00, so nice to hit that figure bang on, too!”
Having earlier this year been diagnosed with bowel cancer and now been given the all-clear, we are absolutely inspired by his determination to finish this very personal challenge and to make such a generous contribution towards the Charity’s Mission Critical campaign.
You can support Jim’s 1664 Mission via the button below.
Our thanks, too, also go to former Royal Marines Dave (Paddy) Corcoran and Carl Drainey who have 38 years’ service between them. They teamed up with good mate Tony Hughes, who they first met as kids in the Holyhead Marine Cadets, to complete the 275-mile Cycle of Wales.
They completed the marathon ride within the six-day limit (with the support of Carl’s wife, Claire, who drove their support vehicle) – raising over £1,000 (including Gift Aid) for our Charity – hoofing!
Sew amazing!

Massive thanks to one of our fantastic supporters, Teresa Aspden, who has just returned from walking in the Himalayas which, she says ‘was an absolutely amazing trek’, along the way visiting the Dalai Lama’s monastery.
But that’s not all – she also raised a magnificent £1,500 for RMA – The Royal Marines Charity from various sales of cushions, bags and the like, and from some “commissions” for sewing!

All wrapped up

Now all has been counted, the final amount raised by the many hundreds of supporters and players from Barnes Rugby Football Club’s ‘Band Box’ (pictured left) event in London over the Remembrance Day weekend was an absolutely incredible £2,737.34! Special thanks go to organiser and former Royal Marine Rich Mayson. A tremendous result for which we are hugely grateful.
Congratulations and sincerest thanks also to former RM Joe Maynard (pictured top 3rd right) and his hardy team of veterans and serving RMs who paddled from Faslane to to the Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge in folding kayaks, covering 125 nautical miles of Scottish coastline.
When all was tallied up, they had raised a whopping £3,000 to be shared between RMA – The Royal Marines Charity and The Naval Children’s Charity.
Remembering Operation Corporate

During yet another busy week working with RM veterans going through some tough times, our team in Scotland took time out to attend a presentation made by Capt Rod Boswell RM (above) at the Commando Connect event in the Sergeants’ Mess 45 Cdo Condor.
Paul ‘Baz’ Barrett, Transition Support Officer North (and Scotland, Northern Ireland) and Relationship Manager Scotland, Nick Holloway, joined current serving and veteran Royal Marines to hear firsthand about Operation Corporate (1982), and the harsh conditions Capt Boswell and his men had to endure in the heat of the battle of Top Malo House which was occupied by Argentine special forces 602 Commando Company, and the Royal Marines of The Arctic Warfare Cadre.
Images by Wallace Ferrier (PHOT) East of Scotland Royal Marines Association.
Time to face the music!

The spectacular Mountbatten Festival of Music featuring The Massed Bands of HM Royal Marines returns to the Royal Albert Hall next year for three thrilling performances – an evening concert on Friday 8th March; and a matinee and evening show on Saturday 9th March 2024.
These spectacular concerts display the outstanding versatility of some of the world’s finest military musicians, featuring a wide range of musical styles including music from the big screen and superb solo items, as well as the traditional marches and overtures that never fail to thrill the audiences.
Proceeds go to Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charities and the Young Lives vs Cancer Charity.2
Shopping Corner

Keep your best friend warm this winter with one of these striking showerproof Commando Canine Dog Jackets – made in the UK and just perfect for those wet and muddy dog walks!
Available exclusively from the Royal Marines Shop that is wholly owned by RMA – The Royal Marines Charity, all profits come back to the Charity to help support the Corps Family.