• Events
A steady stream of events have already taken place (see below) and others are in the making to remember those killed and injured during the Battalion’s tour of Helmand and acknowledge the Battalion’s achievements during its first full operational tour in Afghanistan.
In addition to the events listed, the Appeal has received many donations from both organisations and individuals. Some of these have been accrued from the sale of wristbands, through the efforts of people like George Lennox, who sold them to his school friends; others have been collections made at various events, including the Chepstow Modern Dance Club, donations in lieu of flowers for the funeral of Tom Jones, and the music festival held by Charlie and Elaine Morgan.
All of these efforts are very much appreciated and for all the donations the Appeal has received, we are truly grateful.
See also the Welsh Guards Virgin Money Giving page click here for the latest fundraising events and sponsor them if you can!
If you would like some ideas of fundraising events in aid of the Appeal please take a look at the Events that were organised last year.
• FORTHCOMING FUNDRAISING EVENTS
Cotswold Way Walk
In April 2012, to coincide with the return of the Welsh Guards to Afghanistan, and in memory of the late Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thornloe, Annabelle Asher will walk the 102 mile Cotswold Way from Camden to Bath to raise money for the Appeal. Annabelle, who is in year 4 of St Hugh’s Preparatory School, has previously raised over £200 for the Appeal by selling eggs from her 8 chickens. Annabelle intends to camp overnight, whatever the weather, and her parents will walk with her to provide back up support. Annabelle is going to set up a donations page and has kindly requested that friends and family donate money instead of buying her birthday presents.
Nepal Ultra Marathon
On 20th November, Charles Cartledge will be commencing day one of a gruelling 155 mile course, traversing the Annapurna foothills and reaching heights of up to 10,500 feet. The course will involve many hills and includes ten long bridges, some almost 500 feet high.
• PAST FUNDRAISING EVENTS
Carol Singing
On Sunday 4th December Kevin Sincock, of Harrow School, raised funds for the Appeal by holding a Carol singing service in the town.
Boxing Tournament
On Saturday 3rd December, Stuart Elson and Jessica Williams, father and eldest sister of the late Lance Corporal Dane Elson, took part in this tournament, organised by the South Wales Police, to raise funds for the Appeal. Both performed well and there were no black eyes in evidence! An auction and raffle also took place and guests danced into the early hours. This was the fourth year this event has taken place and was attended by a record 370 guests. Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Todington was Guest of Honour, and Four Welsh Guards, looking splendid in their tunics, assisted with the evening’s proceedings and collected £300 by selling wristbands.
Arm and A Leg Dinner
Thanks to Major Glyn White and his magnificent committee (and especially to Chris Beynon) who have worked tirelessy during the last two years to make the evening of Friday 18th Novemebr, a huge success, the sum of £65,000 was raised. General the Lord Guthrie and Brigadier Peter Williams both spoke after the dinner and Major John Thornloe also attended. Guests at this Llanelli event included both past and present members of the Battalion Rugby team. It was an excellent night all round - though there were probably a few sore heads the following morning!
Remembrance Concert
On Friday 11th November, a Remembrance Day concert and service was held, featuring the Pembroke and District Male Voice Choir, at Monkton Priory Church. The event was attended by the Mayor of Pembroke, Clr Aden Brinn, who has nominated the Appeal as his chosen charity.
Sky Dive
Prior to his death, the late Tony Tucker, who had served with the Welsh Guards, took part in a sky dive in memory of a friend who had himself lost his life in Afghanistan. Tony’s brother, Alan Tucker, forwarded a cheque for £60, rasied during the sky dive, along with a donation in lieu of flowers for Tony’s funeral.
Art/Sculpture Exhibition
Along with three of his colleagues, artist Wilbur Heynes, cousin of the late Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thornloe, became involved with raising funds for the Appeal. Together they organised this event which took place during October, and raised £25,000.
Rugby Tournament
This event took place in Pencoed on 5th August, where Stuart and Alison Elson, family of the late Lance Corporal Dane Elson raised £1,037 on face painting, children’s games and the sale of wristbands.
Lydia Baylis
Singer song-writer 22 year old Lydia, born in Aldershot, released her debut single ‘Starman’ on 1st August 2011. The track, some of the proceeds of which will go to the Appeal, is available to download on www.lydiabaylis.com. Lydia, whose grandfathers, father and uncle have all served with the Welsh Guards, has so far donated over £500 to the Appeal.
London Triathlon
Lieutenant Colonal Roland Walker and CaptainIan Farrell of the Grenadier Guards, took part in this, the world’s largest and most iconic triathlon, on 31st July 2011 to raise funds for the Appeal. Donations can still be made at: www.justgiving.com.
Polo Match
On 3rd July, at the Sussex Polo Ground, 10 year old Toby Addison organised his first charity polo match, raising £3,266.08. Toby was last year’s winnerof the Rupert Thornloe Memorial Trophy for the most improved 10 year old player. Toby also completed sponsored runs and baked cakes to sell at school. The Prince of Wales supported Toby’s efforts by donating a Highgrove Champagne Hamper to the raffle. To date Toby has raised almost £4,000.
The Kindrocht Challenge
At 5:30am on 9th July, Captain Tom Spencer Smith and Captain James Aldridge began the Kindrocht quadrathlon. They completed the entire course of swimming, running, kayaking and cycling in a time of 11 hours and 43 minutes and in 35th place. To date they have raised £3,261. Donations can still be made through www.justgiving.com.
Gobi Desert Ultra Marathon
On 25th June 2011, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Speed took 50 hours to complete a gruelling 150 miles over 6 days, in temperatures of over 55 degrees centigrade, raising £2,240 for the Appeal.
The Enduroman Arch to Arc Triathlon
Training began in December 2010 for this event involving Griff Freeman, Andrew Noyons, Simon Hillard (all ex Welsh Guards), Fred Wells (CG), Andy Prior (Irish Guard) and Paul Mann. Their training took place 5 times per week, mainly consisting of swimming in the Serpentine, which was apparently very cold in January! On 24th June 2011 this gruelling and challenging event began with an 87 mile run from London’s Marble Arch to the Dover coast. On arrival, the team had to brave the tides of the English Channel and swim to the French coast. Finally they cycled 181 miles from Calais to the Arc De Triomphe in Paris. Due to some very bad weather, they were very disappointed at having to be pulled from the Channel approximately a third of the way across. This was a real shame as swimming was their strongest discipline and they were well on their way to breaking the record. However, they managed to achieve the fastest time ever for the run to Dover which they completed in 10 hours, 1 minute and 55 seconds! Their efforts raised over £4000 for the Appeal.
Golf Meeting
On 10th June 2011, Major John Harford organised a golf meeting which took place at the Clyne Golf Club, Swansea. Ronnie Harford was the winner of nearest to pin and Kath Richardson was winner of ladies longest drive. They were amongst the 120+ competitors who helped raise £4,500.
Golf Weekend
Organised by Mr Chris Tinsley and his son, ex Welsh Guard Lance Corporal Chris Tinsley, 180 competitors each began 29th July with a glass of champagne before teeing off in a contest to win numerous prizes including a hole in one prize of a Rover MG6 worth £16,500, a four berth caravan, a week in Portugal and sets of golf clubs. A gambling hall offering port and brandy was situated on the course, where players could win a pair of Tissot watches worth £700. The day offered entertainment for everyone with a carvery, singer and dancing in to the early hours, and raised £3,000 for the Appeal.
Thomson Airlines
In April 2011, Becky Collett, sister of the late Lance Corporal Dane Elson, and cabin crew with Thomson Airlines, was elected to be ‘Thomson Airlines Charity Person’ and successfully campaigned to make the Appeal ‘local charity’ for the Cardiff base. So far £5,392 has been raised from on-board collections.
London Marathon
On 17th April, Martyn Syms, Charlie Sitchell, Dom Palmer-Tomkinson, Kim Rees and Derek Moorhead were amongst the 50,000 runners taking part in the London Marathon this year. They completed the whole 26 miles, 385 yards and collected an impressive £50,000 from their many sponsors.
“Dead Men Risen”
Written by Toby Harnden, this book tells the story of the Welsh Guards tour of Afghanistan in 2009. Toby is donating a percentage of the Royalties from his book to the Appeal.
“Don’t Say Goodbye”
‘Our heroes and the families they leave behind’. Written by Fiona Stanford, who has so far donated over £11,000 from the proceeds of her book.
Art Auction
In January 2011, the Northcliffe Golfing Society held an auction including work by artist Sue Lewis. Society chairman Vyvyan Harmsworth acted as auctioneer, and £1,000 was raised.
September 2010 Shropshire Drinks Party
On 11th September Rupert Harvey held a Charity Drinks Party in aid of the Appeal and Help for Heroes. Rupert had in excess of 150 people at Halston at approximately £25 a ticket. The event finished with a Sporting Auction.
August 2010 Welsh Guards Military Tattoo
On Wednesday 25th August London Welsh Rugby Club celebrated their 125th Anniversary with a Welsh Guards Military Tattoo at Old Deer Park. This was a fun family event including the Regimental Band of the Welsh Guards, Mini-rugby tournament, ‘Gun Races’ with troops and children and many other activities.
Gates opened between 6.30 and 9pm and tickets were £5 per person and children under 16 free. The event took place at the London Welsh Rugby Club, Old Deer Park, Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 2AZ.
August 2010 Creigiau Golf Club Tournament
On 6th August Bill Malcolm organised a Charity Golf Tournament at Creigiau Golf Club, Cardiff in aid of the Appeal. Entry was £120 per team of 4.
> Please contact Bill Malcolm at William.malcolm2@virgin.net if you would like more information, or sponsor the event.
June 2010 Bangor Military Preperation College
On 23rd June 30 students from Bangor Military Preperation College walked the 3 highest mountains in Wales (South, Mid and North) in just 24 hours. They started with Pen Y Fan in the Brecon Beacons and from there they travelled to Cader Idris in Mid Wales and then to the highest mountain in Wales, Mount Snowdon.
> To find out more information and to sponsor Bangor MPC please go to http://www.justgiving.com/Steve-Boswell.
July 2010 Walking Snowdonia National Park’s 15 peaks
During the weekend of the 2nd to 4th July Captain Karl Dawson and fellow Welsh Guardsman based at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst walked the 15 highest peaks in Snowdonia’s National Park. The total distance is about 52 kilometers and their plan was to do this in 24hrs.
So far they have raised £1,500. If you would still like to sponsor them please send a cheque to the Appeal Office and write on the back ‘Exercise Welsh Guards 3000′.
July 2010 Polo Match, Kirtlington, Oxfordshire
On 3rd July a Polo Match was held at Kirtlington Polo Ground in Oxfordshire, organized by Jessica Tomblin in memory of her brother Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe. Teams will play for the Rupert Thorneloe Memorial Cup.
For tickets please apply by post to Jessica Tomblin, Fieldings, Woodend Lane, Lower Cam, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 5HS. Telephone: 07769 697 842. Email: jessica.tomblin@zycko.com
July 2010 Leeds 10k
On 4th July Rupert and Flis Forrest ran the Leeds 10km ‘Run For All’ in aid of the Appeal. To challenge themselves they set the targets of 38 minutes for Rupert and 55 minutes for Flis.
> To sponsor them please go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RupertForrest.
July 2010 – Welsh Guards Summer Ball weekend and polo match:
During the weekend of 17th and 18th July Harry Legge–Bourke and the team from Welsh Guards Reunited held an International Polo Match and a weekend of activities on the Glanusk Estate which is located in the Usk Valley, Crickhowell, South Wales.
> For more information please go to www.glanuskestatepolo.com
Harry and the team also held a 3 Day International Polo event from 1st to 4th July at the Glanusk estate to raise awareness and money for the appeal.
For more information please go to www.glanuskeventing.com
July 2010 Barry Island to Mount Snowdon Walk
Starting on Sunday 25th July Leon Ford and a few members from Sea View RFC (www.seaviewrfc.co.uk) walked from Barry Island to the summit of Mount Snowdon in just 6 days in aid of the Appeal and Help for Heroes. They reached the summit of Snowdon on Saturday 31st July.
> To find out more information and to sponsor Leon and his friends please go to www.justgiving.com/SeaViewRFC.
June 2010 Welsh Guards Officer to race real live horse
On 12th June, Major Tom Charles ran the Man .v. Horse race, 22 miles over the hills of Mid Wales, to raise money for the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal. Tom completed this gruelling race and came 160th out of 250. If you would still like to sponsor him please click on the following link: http://www.justgiving.com/Thomas-Charles
Belfast Marathon
On 3rd May 2010, Derek Moorhead supported the Appeal by running the Belfast Marathon in memory of his friend Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe.
Draper’s Hall Dinner and Auction raises over £160,000 for the Appeal
On Thursday 29th April 2010, the Draper’s Company kindly hosted a Dinner and Auction in their Hall in the City of London for the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal. Having been welcomed by the Master of the Draper’s Company, who donated £20,000 alone, and by the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal Committee Chairman, Brig P R G Williams, the 255 guests were treated to a first class dinner before the Commanding Officer, Lt Col C K Antelme DSO gave a short speech powerfully capturing the experiences of those who had served in Afghansitan.
After a performance by the Corps of Drums the bidding then began for exclusive prizes such as a meal cooked in the bidder’s home by celebrity chef, Tom Aiken. This item was ‘won’ twice when Tom Aiken agreed over the phone to offer his services for both the winning bidder and the runner up, who had bid £8000 and £7500 respectively.
In all, the combined ticket sales and auction bids raised over £160,000 in one night, a truly remarkable achievement at a memorable night in aid of the Appeal. Our thanks go to the Worhsipful Comapny of Drapers’ and to those that bidded and donated generously.
London Marathon
On 25 April 2010, Gemma Jones from Hampshire did her bit to support the Appeal by participating in the 2010 London Marathon. Gemma, who has been the Administration Officer for 1st Battalion Welsh Guards since March 2009, has seen first hand the effects that such a demanding operational tour has on both soldiers and their families.
Welsh Guards Band 3 Cities Spring Tour
By kind permission of Colonel A J E Malcolm OBE, the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel, the Director of Music Major Stephen Barnwell took the Band of the Welsh Guards on a 3 cities tour in Wales called Heroes’ Return including special guests the Morriston Orpheus Choir and the Soprano, Iona Jones. These concerts took place on Friday 23rd April 2010 at Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, Saturday 24th April 2010 at St. David’s Cathedral, St. David’s, Pembrokeshire, and on Sunday 25th April 2010 at St. David’s Hall, Cardiff.
Bainbridge Rugby Club Ladies Committee Annual Charity Quiz
On Friday 12th March 2010, the Ladies Committee organised their Annual Charity Quiz in aid of the Appeal.
Feltmakers reception at the Churchill War Rooms and Museum in Whitehall
On Wednesday 10th March 2010, Jolyon Coombs the Clerk of the Feltmakers is organised a reception for 150 people at the Churchill War Rooms and Museum in Whitehall. The event rose a staggering £8,000 for the appeal.
Welsh Guards run Arabia
In support of the Appeal, Rhodri Richards from Cardiff, Guy Bartle-Jones and Jamie Thomson, set themselves the impressive challenge of participating in every major long-distance running event taking place in the UAE between November 2009 and March 2010. The three, all either serving or recently retired Welsh Guards officers posted to or living in the UAE, ran a total of c.200 km in competition races, including 3 half-marathons, the Dubai marathon and the Wadi Bih ultra-marathon (80 km). The last Regimental Adjutant, Colonel Tom Bonas joined the team for the ultramarathon. To date they have raised £3,900 for the Appeal.
Welsh Guards Reunited Reunion in Porthcawl
During the weekend of the 22nd / 23rd January 2010 Welsh Guards Reunited organized a reunion for 250 members. Former Welsh Guardsmen took over 2 hotels in Porthcawl and through the combined efforts of a raffle, disco, live acts, auctions and the generosity of all those present raised £3,407.65. The whole weekend was success as many members had never attended an event since leaving 1WG.
> Please go to www.wgr.com to read more about this event and others.
Welsh National, Chepstow Racecourse
On 28 December 2009, during the Christmas Holidays, the Appeal saw an extremely successful day’s racing at Chepstow racecourse courtesy of Northern Racing who very generously donated £10,000. In addition we raised £4,756 through bucket collections and wrist band sales and Chepstow donated a further £840 through ticket sales, so all in all we raised £15,500 during the day. Many thanks to all those who helped on the day especially with the bucket collections and parade.
Tattooed!
On 31 October 2009, Eve Lias from Aldershot, Hampshire, demonstrated her permanent commitment to the Welsh Guards by getting her arm tattooed in order to raise money for the Appeal.
Dublin Marathon
On 26 October 2009, Emma Rawlinson from Surrey and Fiona Levitt from London crossed the Irish Sea to join around 10,000 runners taking part in the Dublin Marathon. They undertook the gruelling 26.2 mile race to raise funds for the Appeal, specifically in memory of Lieutenant Mark Evison who died on 12 May 2009 after sustaining injuries whilst on tour in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
> For further information, please visit either http://www.justgiving.com/emmarunsdublin/ or http://www.justgiving.com/fionalevitt/
Cardiff Half Marathon
On 18 October 2009, Mark Ley from Swansea, successfully completed the Cardiff half marathon in 2 hours and 6 minutes in memory of Lance Corporal Dane Elson.
Sky Dive in memory of LCpl Dane Elson
On 17 October 2009, Rowenna Elson, from Bridgend, along with friends Julian and Carl Fricker, Kelly Payne, and Tony Tucker, completed a Sky Dive in Swansea to raise money for the Appeal. Rowenna’s brother, Welsh Guard Lance Corporal Dane Elson, was killed on 05 July 2009 while on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
For most people, a Sky Dive would have been enough excitement for one day but Rowena also held a charity event in her home town of Bridgend on the evening of 17th October 2009, which included an auction where guests were given the opportunity to bid for various entertainment packages, included a trip to London. Both events raised a combined total of around £6,500 for the Appeal.
Welsh Guards Band Concerts
The Welsh Guards Band played a series of concerts in Brecon, Monmouth and Shrewsbury between 14 – 16 October 2009. The proceeds raised went towards the Appeal.
> Full details on other events can be found at their website: http://www.army.mod.uk/music/corps-band/490.aspx
3 Peaks Challenge
Paul de Zulueta and Nigel Hanbury conceived to undertake the 3 peaks challenge so on 04/05 October 2009, 7 former Welsh Guards Officers and the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel, Sandy Malcolm climbed Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis in just under 24 hours. To date the team have raised £55,000 for the Appeal.
> For further details, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/alexander-malcolm/
> Related press coverage: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article6878412.ece
Merthyr to Newport Sponsored Walk
On 19 September, a group led by former Welsh Guards Colour Sergeant Adrian Hinder walked 26.4 miles from Merthyr to Newport. At the last count they had raised £15,200, including £3,222 as WGAA donation buckets were shaken along the way, thanks to the generosity of locals.
Connecticut Welsh Guards 100
On 11 September 2009, former Welsh Guardsman Richard Williams, Tom Muttur and Jeanne Thompson set off at 5am on a sponsored 100km cycle from Connecticut to New Haven. Despite embarking on their journey in the dark and at the tail end of a vicious storm, they successfully completed the cycle ride and all proceeds raised have gone towards the Appeal.
> For more details see: http://www.justgiving.com/CT100kWG/
Cycle Challenge Cymru
On 11 September 2009, Matt Lacey and his colleague Geraint Evans from Barry Island, Vale of Glamorgan, began a 400 mile cycle to North Wales and back. The purpose of the sponsored cycle, which was completed in 4 days, was to raise money for the Appeal and in particular, for Matt’s friend Gdsm Dale Leach.
> Related press coverage: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/08/21/cycle-ride-to-help-injured-dale-91466-24494773/
Land End to John O’Groats Cycle
On 08 September 2009, LSgt Maslen WG from Caerphilly and 76 year old former Welsh Guardsman Eric Hodge completed a sponsored cycle from Lands End to John O’Groats to raise money for the Appeal. With very little support and relying heavily on the kindness of strangers, the intrepid pair completed the trip in 14 days, covering around 70-80 miles a day.
> Related press coverage: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2009/09/30/veteran-76-cycles-from-lands-end-to-john-o-groats-91466-24813641/
Cycle ride the length of Norway
In June and July 2009 Georgie Budgett and Abby Dalton cycled the length of Norway in aid of the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal and the National Association of Colitis and Crohns. Georgie organized the cycle ride in memory of Lt Mark Evison who she met at Oxford Brookes University. It took them 25 days to cycle the 2600 kilometers from Kristiansad following the coast of Norway to Hammerfest. To date they have raised £1,090 for the Appeal with more money still to come.
Walk Snowdonia
On 05 September 2009, Steve Jones, who had undergone major heart surgery in 2008, decided to ascend Snowdon with the objective of putting in place the highest satellite installation in England and Wales. With live Sky TV successfully installed at the top of the peak, Steve completed his mission and has kindly donated 50% of proceeds raised to the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal as a thank you for the support he received from the Regiment during his rehabilitation. The remaining 50% of funds raised have been donated to the British Heart Foundation, which played an integral part in supporting his recovery.