The National Memorial Arboretum, home of the impressive new Armed Forces Memorial, has begun an appeal to fund the building of a Veterans Pavilion. The appeal was launched yesterday by Prince William and has a target of £8million.

The Veterans Pavilion will provide a venue for functions, events and acts of remembrance for the 200 military units, ex-Service groups and other interested parties to meet. It will also enable the Arboretum to expand its work to educate children nationwide in history, the environment and citizenship.

For more details visit the National Memorial Arboretum website

Holidays for Heroes has been operating for over a year giving immediate emergency help to current and former servicemen and women who have fallen on hard times and also providing badly needed holiday breaks for them and their families.

Or to quote from their website: Holidays 4 Heroes is an informal group of people, including serving and retired personnel from all the UK Armed Forces and civilian supporters. We try to assist serving and former military personnel and their families, in a variety of ways that might otherwise fall outside the remit of the better-known Forces Charities. We work together through an Internet web-site used, mainly but certainly not exclusively, by Army personnel (The ARmy Rumour SErvice or "Arrse" for short - the military have a highly sophisticated sense of humour!).

If you would like to make a donation or help in other ways, visit their website at:

www.holidays4heroes.org

.

Viking veteran Dean Owens will be running in this year's London Marathon to raise money for Help for Heroes.

But he'll also be running in memory of his friend and fellow Viking Darren Bonner who sadly didn't return with him from Afghanistan. Dean and Darren, serving with 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment (The Vikings), fought side-by-side against the Taliban and in an article in today's Echo, Dean recalls what life was like on the frontline.

So, for Darren and for his injured comrades, Dean will be running 26 miles of London's streets on 26th April. You can sponsor him on: www.justgiving.com/deanowens

Nice one, Dean!

The Echo: Former soldier's marathon run in aid of servicemen

The Help For Heroes campaign has now raised £16million for injured British servicemen and women - an amazing achievement! Individuals and organisations around the country continue to find ingenious and challenging ways to attract the public's attention and raise yet more much-needed cash for the fund.

Regimental Sergeant Major Billy Morris and Sergeant Major Mark Morgan have thought up the idea of having a race.....in the Arctic. They're going to take part in Canada's annual Arctic Race to raise money for H4H. The race is over two days and covers 100 miles of snowy wasteland. To make it just a bit more difficult the guys will also be pulling loads withing 120kg. Oh, and the termperature will be -35degrees.

Mark said: “We don’t expect to stop for sleep so it’s going to be a real challenge — but it’s a good way to raise money to help a great cause.”

Good luck, guys.......and don't forget to pack your thermals!

The Sun: Arctic aid to Heroes charity

The British Legion Poppy collectors are expected to have raised a record amount this year on the streets of Oxford. Many of the collectors have been rattling their tins every year for over 20 years.
During a reception given for them in the Town Hall, they gave their reasons why they brave the elements to raise the money for the Legion.
Some looked back to earlier wars: “You think about what they had to put up with and that’s what drives you on.”

....“When I’m collecting I think about people and the sacrifices they have made"
Others do it for today's troops: “A lot of our men and women are coming back from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan with horrendous injuries and they are going to need looking after for the next 50 years.
It is the "brave sacrifices of British soldiers fighting for their country [that] made them determined to keep up their collections."

Oxford isn't unique: the determination of Oxford's Poppy collectors is repeated in every town and village across the country.

The Oxford Mail: Praise for Poppy 'Army'
Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal

British troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are being deluged with a record 1,000 mailbags a day from well-wishers and charities as they prepare to spend Christmas Day far from home. An extraordinary eight tonnes of presents have been arriving every day at Camp Bastion and military postal staff are working day and night to sort and distribute it to remote patrol bases in the desert.

Despite the MoD asking the public not to overburden the system with unsolicited parcels addressed "to a soldier", this year's mail delivery to Afghanistan is up 60% on the same period in 2007.
The charity uk4u-Thanks! has sent 24,500 "square stocking" gift boxes to Armed Forces personnel serving overseas. Support our Soldiers have despatched 12,000 parcels to Britain's servicemen and women who will be away from home this Christmas. And numerous local groups in villages, towns and cities across the country have been sending off shoeboxes crammed with goodies to the guys and gals on the frontline.
Everybody knows how good it is to receive a parcel and everybody knows there are no more worthy recipients than the guys serving in the frontline!

MoD: Posties snowed under in the desert
The Guardian: Public send record donation of festive gifts to troops on Helmand front line

British troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq will be enjoying parcels of food and toiletries this Christmas thanks to the members of Leigh-on-Sea's Smiles across the Miles group which launched their parcels' campaign in September. Three months on and already over 750 parcels have been sent to the guys and gals of Britain's Armed Forces. Set up by Caroline Gladwin, Smiles across the Miles is not just for Christmas but will be sending out parcels throughout the year 'for the duration'.
That the parcels are well received can be seen from the following message:
"I just dropped you a short line to say thank you very much for the goodies that you sent out to Afghanistan. You will, I hope, be pleased to know that they have all been put to good use by a serving soldier out here. Thank you. It is pleasing to know that there are very kind people such as yourselves who are thinking of us away from our families and homes at this time."

Well done, Caroline and the Leigh-on-Sea Essex Army cadets and everyone else involved!

Smiles across the Miles

Two lads from Southend, Essex are preparing to do their bit for Help For Heroes. Joe Bines and Stuart Ross plan to walk 1,000 miles to raise money for H4H before they join the RAF next year.
Joe said: “We wanted to raise money for the injured soldiers coming home from war zones around the world."
They can be contacted by email at we_r_all_mad@live.co.uk

Good luck, lads!

Southend Echo: Pals prepare for 1.100 mile charity trek

Not Cadbury's Heroes but Caley's Heroes.

Once their chocolate formed part of every soldier's ration pack on the battlefields of the Great War. Now Caley’s of Norwich, a long-established chocolate producer, have introduced a new range of products in support of Help for Heroes.

For every jar of Caley's Heroes hot chocolate drink sold, 10p will go to H4H and for each Heroes chocolate bar, a 5p donation will be made.

‘The decision to support Help for Heroes was an easy one for Caley’s. We hope that our chocolate can give a lift to our forces both at home and abroad. By working with Help for Heroes we are aiming to take that to the next level – the work they are doing for our wounded is fantastic.’ – Ken Cunningham-Brown, Chairman of Caley’s.

Sweet one, Caley's!

Caley's and Help for Heroes

The remarkable success of the Help for Heroes campaign means that work has started on the new swimming pool and gym complex for injured troops at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Headley Court.
It was only last year that Bryn Parry and his wife Emma launched the charity Help for Heroes and since then hundreds of thousands of people across the country have been donating their time and money to provide Britain's injured troops with the facilities they need to speed their recovery and rehabilitation.
Cutting the first turf to prepare the site for the new complex, Bryn Parry, said: "I am delighted that work can now begin on this project and we are assured that this will be a superb addition to the excellent facilities at Headley Court; a legacy to the nation. Help for Heroes is very simple and is based on the idea that we, the people of this country, have a deep affection and admiration for our armed forces. We understand that while we cannot prevent servicemen and women being wounded, we can help them get better.
Help for Heroes have raised £8million towards the building of the swimming pool and gym complex. In addition to this the MoD will also provide several million pounds and future running costs.
The Help For Heroes campaign however continues with a number of other projects for which funds need to be raised.

Congratulations Bryn and Emma! An amazing achievement!

The Sun: Ground Hero

Ross Kemp, honorary Viking, has launched this year's Christmas Box campaign on a speedboat driven by Santanista guerrillas. The Christmas Box campaign is organised by UK4U-Thanks! which aims to distribute 24,500 parcels to all UK Armed Forces personnel serving away from their home stations this Christmas.
Signaller Matthew Kenworthy, who served in Afghanistan over Christmas last year, said that receiving a box from the charity was a great surprise: "A million miles from home but still people are thinking about us; especially at this time of year when we are missing family and friends so much."

MoD:Ross Kemp launches Forces' Christmas Boxes

Captain Iain Greenwood of 3 Battalion (TA) The Royal Anglian Regiment sets off tomorrow on a 100 mile / 5 day solo yomp across Dartmoor to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust and the Royal Anglian Afghanistan Memorial Fund - or, as he puts it, in memory of "10 courageous individuals": his 14-year-old niece Maggie Vale, who died in October from cancer, and the nine men from 1 Battalion The Royal Anglians who were killed in Afghanistan in 2007.
Good luck, Iain! Hope you've got comfy boots.

Colchester Gazette: Essex soldier Iain in walk of courage

At a recent charity auction at Buck House, Yorkshire entrepreneur Jimi Heselden bid £1.5million for himself and six mates to fly with the Red Arrows . The proceeds from the auction will go to Help for Heroes to help meet the cost of a new hydrotherapy pool at Headley Court military rehabilitation centre in Surrey.
For some time Mr Heselden has been giving considerable financial support to charities through his own Leeds Community Foundation. Jimi is the owner of Hesco Bastion whose products can be found the length and breadth of the country:

on motorway embankments; on large walls which are then clad with bricks, and, more recently, as flood protective equipment. The company also provides force protection equipment for Britain's Armed Forces - notably the Hesco Concertainer. The company regularly receives "blueys" - airmail letters from armed forces personnel who say how Hesco equipment has saved their lives.

Well done, Jimi and have a nice flight!

The Sun: £1.6m for Sun fund at Palace

One of the three charities set to benefit from this year's Telegraph Christmas Charity Appeal is Combat Stress.
Even the toughest people find it hard to shrug off the horrors of war. Haunted by the deaths of friends, memories of ambushes and guilt about those they have killed, many former Servicemen suffer from trauma and anxiety. Combat Stress has seen an 53% increase in referrals over the last three years with 1,160 cases being dealt with last year alone.
The Telegraph's Appeal will raise money to help Combat Stress help those who are suffering as a result of serving their country.

The Telegraph: Telegraph Christmas Charity Appeal 2008: Combat Stress
The Telegraph: Andy McNab on the battle that never ends

It's normally fundraising for Armed Forces' charities that you hear about but this week-end the boot was on the other foot.
Members of UK Armed Forces, including troops on the frontline in Iraq and Afghanistan, put on loads of events to raise money for BBC's Children in Need campaign.
Servicemen and women are thought to have again raised thousands of pounds for the Pudsey charity.

MoD: Forces raise thousands for Children in Need

Project 65 aims to raise a total of £500,000 to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day which falls next year. Part of this sum will be used to erect a memorial in Normandy bearing the name of every man in the coup-de-main force.
The greater part of the money raised however, will be divided equally between the following charities to help them continue their work in support of the disabled and damaged men and women who have served in today’s Armed Forces:

The Royal British Legion - Army Benevolent Fund - RAF Benevolent Fund - BLESMA - St Dunstan’s - Help for Heroes
There are many events planned over the next eight months, culminating in a team of fund raising volunteers who will leave Tarrant Rushton Airfield on June 4th next year and run 65 miles to arrive at Pegasus Bridge to celebrate the 65th Anniversary of D-Day on June 6th 2009. Visit the Project65 website and check out all that is planned.

Project65

Mal Franks, currently serving in the Armed Forces, and Tony Duffy of Real Music UK are organising a musical extravaganza, Troops Live Aid 2009, which will be taking place at the Wembley Stadium sometime in August next year.

The event is being staged in support of Britain's troops and to raise funds for service charities...... and to have a fun time!

Troops Live Aid 2009
Ning: Troops Live Aid 2009

The Art Fund, an independent art charity, is taking Steve McQueen's "Queen and Country" exhibition to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh. The work goes on display on 3 December until 15 February 2009.

More than 14,500 people have already signed the petition to realise Steve McQueen's work, which commemorates British servicemen and women killed in Iraq, as official postage stamps. Royal Mail, however, continues to refuse to issue commemorative stamps based on Steve McQueen's designed.

You can sign the petition at www.artfund.org/queenandcountry

The Art Fund: Queen and Country
Daily Telegraph: Steve McQueen's Queen and Country: The new face of remembrance

The X Factor charity single has now raised more than £1million for Britain's troops. The proceeds from the sale of the No.1 hit, a cover version of Mariah Carey’s song 'Hero', are all going to Help for Heroes and The Royal British Legion- retail outlets have agreed to donate their profits and the Government has waived VAT on sales of the song.

The Sun: Heroes get six zeroes