Giving Back
Thanks to a £900 grant from RMA – The Royal Marines Charity, the opportunity to join the annual International Military Pilgrimage to Lourdes turned into a much more life-changing experience than Richard, a Royal Marine veteran, had ever thought possible.
Battling to come to terms with life back on ‘civvie street’, ‘alone’ without the daily banter of fellow Bootnecks, and the lack of routine and purpose of being a tough Royal Marines Commando, is a mental challenge that many desperately struggle with on leaving the service.
Here, in his own exceptionally moving words, Richard describes just how much the relatively small beneficiary grant meant to him:
“The opportunity to revitalise one’s human nature by assisting others. Visiting holy places, beauty, reconnecting a bit with UK military, the banter, all the various nationalities, the magic of seeing so many nations there together in peace.
As a Catholic and a veteran, Lourdes is a special blend of specialness. I have been invited to return next year as a carer/support and I would like to make that progression. It would be lovely to mark that as progress from how ill I have been before.
It’s a bit too early to be able to say fully, but I think there have been some things which have helped me to see how far I have come in my ‘recovery’ and also where some things still need sorting out.
I enjoyed the simple but consciously significant acts which can make such an impact to renew peoples’ faith in their own humanity, and the humanity of others.
What is the point of military endeavours if we don’t celebrate the peace afforded.
Thank you to anyone and everyone who made it possible for me to go on this trip. It remains to be seen what the lasting impact will be, but I think it will be quite profound. Thank you for the opportunity to spend time with others. I spend an awful lot of time living on my own at home.
The bottom line is that this trip was an opportunity to Love and be Loved. Without this, what is it all for? Life is worth living and this trip was proof.”
Thank you to anyone and everyone who made it possible for me to go on this trip.”
Travel plans are already progressing for Group 507’s trip to Lourdes next year to again incorporate the International Military Pilgrimage at the end of May.
And if all goes to plan, Richard will again be travelling with the UK contingent – this time, as an official helper.