Last week at RMA – The Royal Marines Charity

News Update

It was the turn of The Commando Logistics Regiment (CLR) at Chivenor, Barnstaple (Devon) to receive a visit recently from our Health & Wellbeing Roadshow Team. The aim of the roadshows is to personally brief serving personnel on how RMA – The Royal Marines Charity can help support them when needed.

This time, the team briefed Royal Marines in Hellberg Troop (the Unit’s Recovery Troop) and other members of the Unit’s Chain of Command, followed by one-to-one sessions.

The timing coincided perfectly with the start of April’s national Stress Awareness Month. Reflecting the aims of our own powerful ‘Lifting the Lid’ campaign, it is designed to raise awareness about both the contributory factors and the solutions, as well as to reduce the stigma that surrounds stress and mental health, serving as a gateway to open up conversations about stress, signpost people to the right support and help prioritise mental health.

Training for world-record attempt

An awesome group of 12 retired Royal Marines, all over the age of 45 led by legendary polar explorer and retired Royal Marines Commando RSM, Barry ‘Baz’ Gray, have already completed three training runs in preparation for a gruelling world-record attempt – a 26-mile (42km) marathon in July around the streets of London in full military kit and carrying 40lb (18kg) back-packs.

It is aiming to raise awareness and increase the understanding of the mental health challenges facing many of those within the veteran community, and the resultant impact on their families.

Baz officially launched The Royal Marines Veterans Speed March at a prestigious dinner in the Tower of London at the start of the Royal Marines 360^th Anniversary year last month, that was also attended by  General Sir Gordon Messenger KCB DSO* OBE ADC (above left).

Baz says: “Put quite simply, physical and mental health issues within the entire Veteran community is as bad today as it has ever been. This is a result of many years in conflict zones on a global scale, most notably in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The knock-on effect of this goes far beyond the individual. It has huge impact on friends and family, especially children.”

In also fundraising for RMA – The Royal Marines Charity, the team has already raised a massive £53,000 (including Gift Aid)!

Photos: Matt Elliott – Barry ‘Baz’ Gray (right) leads latest training run in Wales for RM Veterans Speed March; (also pictured bottom left) 

The makings of a good dit

Congrats and huge thanks to the splendid Royal Marines Kayak Team – comprising serving and former Royal Marines/Royal Navy – for their dedication in training and awesome successes in the ever-gruelling and arduous Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race.

The 125-mile annual ultra-marathon over the Easter Weekend has 77 portages and is regarded as ‘The Canoeist’s Everest’. The race is challenging and demanding in ‘normal’ years but in adverse conditions such as those which paddlers encountered this year, even more so.

Because of the high river flow and treacherous conditions, the race was curtailed for safety concerns at Teddington and no one was allowed on the ‘tideway’ (the last 17 miles of the tidal Thames) due to the excessive flow rate.

Former RM Steve Riley (pictured right), who took part in Senior Singles, finished the 108 miles to Teddington in 15:04:2, placing him in third position. He said : “This was a huge achievement for myself as on paper I should have only made 5^th or 6^th at best. The conditions on the water were interesting with the Thames being on red boards (Flood Warning). My event was anyway due to finish at Teddington due to PLA restrictions.”

Other members of the RM Kayak Team reported that ‘the flow rate was the worst in living memory’ and they were disappointed not to make the distance having had to retire after multiple capsizings and a mechanical breakdown.

But despite all this, “with no exaggeration needed to make this a good dit!”, the team has to date raised an awesome £7,322 (including Gift Aid)  for RMA – The Royal Marines Charity.  Hoofin’ result and enormous respect.

Solo run

In yet another supremely impressive achievement last weekend, Serving Royal Marine Jack Nichol ran 100km solo from Manchester to Blackpool and raised almost £3,500, to be shared between our own Charity and the Air Ambulance organisation.  Huge thanks. BZ.

On the watchlist

12th-22nd APRIL – Serving Royal Marine Rory Moynihan (pictured right) is tackling the legendary Marathon des Sables 2024. The gruelling foot race takes place in Morocco over several stages. Those taking part must be wholly food self-sufficient over a distance of about 250km (155miles).

Rory says: “I’ve been in the Corps for coming up to eight years. I chose Marathon Des Sables because it seems a tough challenge but a great experience and it will be good to test my limits whilst getting to run through the Sahara. 

I have chosen to raise money for the RMA because I’m aware of the good work that they do. Also, having become a father in the last nine months and with friends who raise money for Acorns Children’s Hospice,  I now have a small appreciation for the unimaginable situation those families find themselves in and the work it does to assist them.”

3rd-9th JUNE – D-Day 80 CHANNEL CROSSING:  An early heads-up for this extraordinary challenge to mark the 80th Anniversary of Operation Overlord by an RMA Paddle Group team of nine Serving and eight Veteran Royal Marines; two former Hasler (Naval Recovery Centre) members, and RMA-TRMC Vice-Patron, Keith Breslaur, who is Managing Director and Senior Partner of Patron, a lead corporate donor of RMA – Royal Marines Charity. Patron has very generously agreed to sponsor this Commemoration trip and match all monies raised by the team!

The group will depart the Royal Marines Yomper at Eastney, Portsmouth in two-man Klepper folding kayaks across the English Channel crossing the 90 nautical miles throughout the night. The day after arriving in Port-en-Bessin they will paddle all the Allied opposed landing beach heads, beginning with the U.S sectors (Utah and Omaha), culminating with the British and Canadian sectors (Gold, Juno and Sword) on the 6th June, D-Day.

To mark this special anniversary, the Paddle Group will also take part in the re-enactment of the landings at Sword Beach with 47 Commando on D-Day.

Beating Retreat

Tickets are now available for spectacular The Massed Bands of HM Royal Marines Beating Retreat – a magnificent evening of outstanding military music and pageantry, featuring over 200 of the world’s finest military musicians, the precision drill of the 40-strong Corps of Drums and a 100-strong Royal Marines Guard of Honour performed on Horse Guards Parade in London. Profits from the event are donated to Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charities.

It’s snow joke…

Royal Navy News reports that Royal Marines will strike faster and further across the Arctic snow thanks to a £10m investment in new snowmobiles for reconnaissance and raiding operations.

The purchase of up to 159 Lynx Brutal Over Snow Reconnaissance Vehicles, made by Finnish subsidiary of Canadian firm Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), will be supplied from March 2025 onwards.

Photo: Royal Navy

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