New era for Lympstone-based RMA – The Royal Marines Charity
At the official opening of its new headquarters at Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) in Lympstone (13th July 2023), RMA – The Royal Marines Charity’s Chair of Trustees, Lynn Fordham, thanked most sincerely the generosity of its external sponsors who funded the majority of the £1.4M rebuild project, named The CHAMP Building.
This funding, to replace and demolish the former premises, was secured in the main from five funders – The CHAMP Trust; Greenwich Hospital; Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity; Bernard Sunley Foundation; a corporate donation from Peak Scientific, and from private donations.
This has met the Board’s intention that no charity funds that could be spent on welfare support to beneficiaries, should be used to finance a new office building nor the demolition of the former building.
Newly finished and taking just thirteen weeks to complete from start to finish, The CHAMP Building marks the start of a new era for RMA – The Royal Marines Charity.
The 336 sq-metre modular unit is wheelchair and disability accessible and includes a 12-seat conference room, break-out spaces, and counselling rooms, tipping its hat to its predecessor by being wooden clad, single storey and in the same location at Commando Training Centre. It will be the home to teams from Health & Wellbeing, Fundraising, Communications, Membership and Operations.
The old Wooden Hut, which dated back to the Second World War, had started to fall into such disrepair that it had become a serious health and safety concern. There appeared a number of major structural issues with what was an ageing 80 year-old building, ‘listing to starboard’ in one corner and with a ceiling that was starting to disintegrate. It was understood to have been built in 1941/42 for Ministry of Defence use and was originally designated a ‘temporary’ unit with an expected lifespan of just five years!
However, it had gone ‘on and on’ and been used in various guises by the Corps during the intervening 80 years. In 2009, it was leased from the MOD by the C Group charity and most recently, RMA – The Royal Marines Charity.
Having been deemed ‘beyond repair’ and not being a listed building, a number of replacement options were evaluated, the most cost-effective being to knock the hut down before it fell down and start again from scratch.
RMA – The Royal Marines Charity’s Chair of Trustees, Mrs Lynn Fordham said at the official opening:
“We are immensely grateful and indebted to all our benefactors who have made the building of such an impressive new facility possible.
It is important that the Charity’s teams are located within the Camp as so many of the Royal Marines we support are either based at CTCRM or travel through regularly. The Charity’s activities on camp include direct support to those recruits who, for whatever reason, are unable to complete training; briefing serving ranks during all training courses and command courses, to being available for staff and family members to drop in for advice and support, whether that be welfare, employment, education, fundraising, amenities or RMA membership and reunions.”
Mrs Fordham also thanked the Charity’s retiring Deputy Chief Executive, Brigadier Richard Spencer CBE, for his efficient project management in ensuring The CHAMP Building was finished on time despite many challenges along the way, not the least of which was overseeing the on-site delivery during Storm Noah of six modules weighing about 12 tonnes each.
“It was a remarkable achievement for which we will always be grateful. We also thank Modulek and its sub-contractors as well as the huge support received from the Commandant CTCRM and his team in bearing with us and helping enable much of the initial stages to be carried out during their Easter Leave.”
Major Mark Latham RM 2IC Support Wing & Officer Commanding Base Company, Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, added: “This is an outstanding project, brought in within the timeline and potentially under budget. It is a very impressive building, and a project that will allow the Charity to operate within a suitable and fitting environment. I, for one, am very impressed in how this project was managed and completed.”
The old Wooden Hut lasted 75 years longer than originally intended but RMA – The Royal Marines Charity is nevertheless ensuring its history will not be lost. The historic plaque that was on the steps of the building has been preserved, along with some elements of the original cladding with plans for this to be auctioned to raise funds that will be used towards the Charity’s lifelong support of the Corps Family.
In the words of Richard Spencer: “The Order in Council that resulted in the formation of the Duke of York and Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot, with 1,200 men, each with ‘good flintlocks’ bears no resemblance to today’s Corps. The Royal Marines have moved on to bigger and better things. The old Wooden Hut lived its life and lived it well but was beyond conservation. It’s time for us to embrace the future as well.”