North West
Featured event
- Celebrities from Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and Emmerdale will join forces with Soldiers from 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment to take on an AFC Fylde AllStars team for a &Charity Football match*
The event promises to be a great attraction for families to come down to Kellamergh Park – Refreshments are available on the day, there will be a fantastic raffle with some terrific prizes and a commemorative matchday programme plus activities to keep the kids amused!
There are unconfirmed rumours that Lt Col Philip Aindow, Regional Director of Fundraising, will be running onto the pitch as the team mascot.
See all events coming up in your local area.
Lynda Ledwith, Jamie’s Mum at the start of the 13 mile Sponsored Walk on the Longendale Trail, Nr Glossop
Round-up 2009
On the 4 October 2009 Lynda Ledwith organised a sponsored walk to celebrate the life of her son Kingsman Jamie Hancock who was killed in Iraq on 6th November 2006. This is the third event that Lynda has organised in conjunction with her other son Sgt Joe Hancock and her inspiration led to her friends and local businesses raising over £9,000, a tremendous boost to our funds.
The first Lytham St Anne’s St George’s Day Festival was held over the 23 24 and 25 April.
The St George’s Flag was raised on Lytham Green and was followed by a procession into the centre and the Band of the King’s Division entertaining the public on the Piazza.
A St George’s Day Lunch was held at Lytham Hall when the keynote speaker was Martin Bell ably assisted by two of the Patrons, Jimmy Armfield and Bill Beaumont.
L to R: Martin Bell, Guest Speaker, Lt Col PJ Aindow, ABF, Jimmy Armfield, Patron, Bill Beaumont, Patron, Gen Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter, ABF and David Haythornthwaite, Festival President
On the following day a Ball was held at the same venue, being preceded by the Ceremony of Beating Retreat performed by the King’s Division Band.
A Family Fun Day concluded the Festival with 5,000 people attending. The Soldiers’ Charity was the main beneficiary of monies raised during the Festival and in the first year raised over £5,000. We are hopeful that now the Festival has been established that this year’s Festival, which will take place entirely on Lytham Green, will raise considerably more funds.
Our thanks go to David Haythornthwaite the inspiration behind the Festival and our Lancashire President, Lord Shuttleworth who agreed to be a Patron of the Festival.
The successful bid to become the BAE Systems Charity Partner for the next 2 years on the Lancashire sites, Warton and Samlesbury, will present a tremendous opportunity for both fundraising and volunteering from their workforce.
L to R: Capt Harry Wright, The Duke of Westminster, Prof Richard Holmes and Maj Gen Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter
All our events this year continue to be very well attended and, indeed, produced a record level of fund raising; these events have included a lecture by military historian, Richard Holmes, at Eaton Hall raising £4,000.
A successful collection at the two day Cholmondeley Castle “Pageant of Power” raised £6,600 during which we were well supported by personnel of the Cheshire Army Cadet Force. CES (UK) Ltd, car parts and exhaust suppliers celebrated their 25 Anniversary at the Pageant and donated £1,000.
Chester and Wirral Committee on duty L to R:
Captain Harry Wright, Chairman, Captain Alan Bulmer, WO1 Roy Morgan, Captain Philip Jones and Maj John Bennett
The Charity “Sporting Bears” whose members provide trips in vintage cars also raised a further £2,500 for us. We would also wish to acknowledge the support given by Lord Cholmondeley and James Hall and his staff, to make this an excellent fundraising event for The Soldiers’ Charity.
Our Chairman’s Dinner in November was attended by ninety guests and raised about £2,000. Our excellent speaker was Colonel Phillip Harrison, Training Commandant, Defence School of Medicine, Selly Oak Hospital.
Additionally, we received a number of very generous donations including £1,250 from B Squadron 208 Field Hospital (Volunteers); £9,102 from a team of wives and soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh after they completed the Three Peaks Challenge; £1,250 from Marybern Rolled Steel Products Chester and £500 from Mrs Gill McKenna in memory of her husband, Sergeant Graham McKenna who was stabbed earlier this year in Birkenhead.
A number of the committee were also present at four local Tesco stores during that retailers ABF The Soldiers’ Charity support day – these stores raised a total of £7,000.
L to R: The Lord Lieutenant, Mr JA Cropper, Brig Bill Aldridge, Commander 42 (NW) Bde and Lt Col Stephen Overton, Chairman , Cumbria Committee
The year started with a very successful Lunch in the Officer’s Mess at Warcop Training Camp which raised £1,950.
A collection at Tebay Services on the M6 on 4 July raised over £1,000.
The outstanding fundraising event this year was the collection at Cartmel Races on the 29 August and with the help from C Coy personnel from 4 LANCS the collection raised a brilliant £4,200 on the day. Thanks are due to Lord Cavendish for giving us permission to undertake the collection.
On 11 September, by kind permission of Major and Mrs Henry Sawery – Cookson, the Lord Lieutenant’s Champagne Reception and Beating Retreat Ceremony took place at Newbiggin Hall, a former 14th Century Tower House, Near Penrith raising £2,000.
Lt Col Peter Binder, Chairman of the East Cheshire Committee, presenting an ABF The Soldiers’ Charity Certificate of Appreciation to Brendan Flanagan, General Manager, Tatton Park
The fundraising year started with a well supported Chairman’s Burns Night Dinner at the Old Boys’ and Park Green Club in Macclesfield. The President of the Club was the main guest. The committee took the opportunity to thank the Club for its longstanding support in allowing us to hold our planning meetings at its location.
The repeat of a Whisky Tasting was well received in March. This was followed in the same month by a street collection by members of the committee during the Freedom Parade in Macclesfield of the Mercian Regiment.
At the beginning of June a party of supporters went on a four day coach tour to “Military” London”. The itinerary included a “Beating Retreat” on Horse Guards parade and “The Colonel’s Review” of “Trooping the Colour”.
In the same month one of the North-West’s leading Territorial Army Bands, the Band of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment performed a “Beating Retreat”, which was followed by a reception attended by the Leader of the Council of the new Unitary Authority of Cheshire East and hosted in the Town Hall of Macclesfield by the Worshipful the Mayor of Cheshire East, Councillor Margaret Simon. The concurrent street collection supported by the local ACF contingent raised some £1400.
Last year’s venture to collect at the Royal Horticultural Society Flower Show was repeated in July at Tatton Park.
Over a period of five days some £3150 was raised for The Soldiers’ Charity.
The Committee acknowledged the support of the Tatton Park staff by a Controller’s Certificate of Appreciation presented to the General Manager.
Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan), David Platt (Jack Shepherd) and Gail Platt (Helen Worth) join Luke James and Ben Boardman from 10 Battalion REME
The Manchester committee enjoyed another successful year with some new variations to our fund raising activities. We started the year with a well attended Big Curry in February at University Barracks, hosted by the out going Commanding Officer Lt Col Joanne Laverty.
The new (and very splendid) Fusilier’s Museum was the unusual venue for a May Cocktail Party, again well attended and enjoyed by all. This was prior to the public opening so the guests were able to have a preview of the refurbished Victorian building as well as the displays.
In September 75 Engr Regt towed a 10 ton truck from Oldham to the centre of Manchester, collecting over £1000 along the 7 mile route, a very good effort. They were met and congratulated by the Lord Mayor and the Chairman, Colonel David Kirkwood.
At the end of October a reception was held in the “engine shed” of the Museum of Science and Industry. This was hosted by the Director of MOSI, Colonel (Retd) Steve Davis (late QLR) who very generously allowed The Soldiers’ Charity the use of the facility. The function was supported by both the Lord Lieutenant and the Lord Mayor of Manchester.