NAVY NEWS, APRIL 2008 19
Give as
you live
‘Still firing
THE Royal Navy has launched a
new ‘give as you earn scheme’ to
support all Naval Service charities
through the Royal Navy Royal
Marines Charity (RNRMC).
In encouraging people to
guns in sheer
donate through their pay, the RN
hopes to get as many people as
possible giving monthly through
their payroll to the Sports
Amenities and Benevolence
Scheme (SABS)
The slogan of the new scheme
is “£1 per week – a lifetime of
reward”, because the money col-
defiance’
lected will benefit everyone in the
wider Naval community, from
TWO Naval veterans are
body armour, and fitted out
serving people to veterans and
with an impressive wheelchair
their dependants.
not letting ill fate or ill-
that he has named the ‘GR7
If a serviceman or woman
ness daunt them as they
Harrier’, the determined veter-
agrees to pay £1 a week, the
take on fundraising chal-
an has decided to raise money
actual cost to them is 78 pence,
lenges in the spirit of the
for the groups that have aided
because the donation is deducted military in which they
him in his injuries.
from their ‘before-tax’ pay. have served.
As Navy News went to press,
Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns, After 17 years enjoyable
Barry was due to take part in
● CPO David ‘Tug’ Wilson is cheered on by HMS Bulwark’s com-
Second Sea Lord, said at the service in the Royal Navy as a
the Sport Relief mile, complet-
manding offi cer Capt Jeremy Blunden and shipmates
scheme’s launch: “If 75 per cent Marine Engineer, boiler spe-
ing the distance in his GR7
of serving people in the RN cialist, Vaughan Williams was
Harrier while flying the White
donated £1 a week to the SABS, proud when his son Arthur
Ensign proudly at Colchester
we’d collect £1.5 million every signed up for the military life
Garrison.
Tug rows, cycles
year.” as an elite green beret.
He said: “Being a Pongo
The three main areas to benefit However a serious car acci-
area, I aim to represent the
from the scheme will be sport, dent smashed his son’s spine
Senior Service by example
amenities, and benevolence in several places leaving him
leading from the front.” and runs for
– financial help to those in need. partially paralysed, and neces-
He is grateful for the support
Money raised for sport will sitating four months in the
of his local RNA in Clacton,
go on extras, such as equipment Midlands Centre for Spinal
plus the RN and Fleet Air
and coaching, and support to Injuries at Oswestry.
Arm who have provided him
clubs and associations for serving
lifeboat service
Vaughan said: “Arthur is with clothing and stickers to
people. slowly getting his life back
keep the RN at the forefront of
The amenities fund is designed together and at the moment is
● Vaughan Williams as a ‘baby Tiff’ in
attention.
CPO David ‘Tug’ Wilson on board assault ship HMS Bulwark set him-
to help service people relax when still a Royal Marine.
1965
He added: “But one sticker
self a daunting challenge when he decided to complete a half-marathon
off-duty, and will pay for leisure “Both the Royal Marines in three separate disciplines – indoor rowing, cycling and running – in
items such as new televisions, and his ship HMS Albion have
Last year Barry went through
says ‘Hello sailor’, which raises
one marathon session.
media centres and games in ships been of immense support to him
a full major thoracic spine opera-
a few eyebrows – mind you, no
Tug took on the commitment as part of the Royal National Lifeboat
and establishments. It will also over the last year.
tion, one of the first carried out in
ex-matelot has made an offer to
Institution’s ‘Showing our support’ national fundraising day.
help pay for Families’ Days and “They have shown the truth
this country, where he died twice
me yet...”
Tug said: “As someone who works at sea, and also sails recreationally,
activities which are not publicly of the statement that the Royal
yet, to use Barry’s memorable
As well as his fundraising efforts
the RNLI is an important charity to me.
funded. Marines are more than a career
phrase, “they got the old boilers
for the national Sport Relief char-
“My brother is an ex-lifeboat crew member and now works full time
The Benevolence fund will but a family that always do their
fired up after quite a struggle.”
ity, Barry has his eye set on bigger
things: “If the Royals want me to
for the RNLI so it is a charity that I have always supported.
help both serving and ex-serving best to look after their own.”
He went on: “The plain fact
assist them do various things like
“I am delighted to have been able to raise so much money for this very
people and their dependants Vaughan admits that the debt
was I was told the only reason they
abseiling over bridges or down worthwhile cause and would like to thank everyone on board for their
who find themselves in need. to Oswestry can never be repaid
carried out my operation was that
buildings, then count me in! support throughout.”
It will also help casualties and but he is determined to try –
I was mega fit and it paid off, as
“I am up for it in my wheel- In total Tug has managed to raise over £1,048 – enough money to
their families and will be able to the veteran intends to walk from
my spine specialist said when he
chair, I yearn for it and give me provide all the required safety and survival equipment for one lifeboat
supplement the £10,000 char- John O’Groats to Lands End to
knew of my Naval background.
a chance to do something others crew member.
ity grant which is currently paid raise money for the spinal unit
“He told me that he had seen
say is impossible in the chair I Tug completed the challenge in four hours and 21 minutes, nine
immediately in the event of a at Oswestry and Spirit, a charity
the film of the Graf Spee bat-
will do.” minutes inside his target time.
death in service. that supports research into spinal
tle and that I was just like HMS
The scheme has already been injuries and their treatment.
Exeter, ‘you vanish in a load of
rolled out in HMS Raleigh and Find out more online at www.
smoke and the officers on the
BRNC Dartmouth, and repre- vaughanscharitywalk.co.uk or
other ships were amazed to see
sentatives will be visiting other pledge through www.justgiving. Exeter come out badly damaged,
establishments to explain the com/vaughanwilliams. on fire, smoke pouring out of her,
benefits of the new system. Spinal injury is all too familiar but still firing her guns in sheer
For further information con- to another Naval veteran, Barry defiance.’
tacts the SABS manager, Julie O’Connell, who after injuring his “The specialist then asked me
Behan, on 023 9281 6508 or back falling from a ladder ended up how I got away with it. I just
the Fleet charities officer, Frank at the Royal National Orthopaedic smiled and said ‘Lady Luck’.’
Ward, on 023 9262 5247. Hospital at Stanmore. Now clad in an exo-skeleton of
● Trainee Engineering Technician Brooke Wilson and her fellow trainees rub down the paintwork ready
for repainting at Pengover Residential Home
Sailors head up the garden path
TRAINEE sailors from HMS Raleigh have visited a “The trainees will probably have a maximum of two
local residential home to create an inspirational and weeks with us before they start the next stage of their
relaxing garden for residents. training, and during that time we look to put together
The sailors began work at the home in January a programme of activities to enhance the skills they
and Raleigh plans to send trainees to the home on a have learned during basic training.
weekly basis over the next nine months. “Working at Pengover is an excellent way for them
The ‘Up the garden path’ project will see the to put their team-working skills into practice while
sailors building a path, a dry stone wall and laying the also interacting with the older people in the local
foundations for a shed. community and helping to brighten their day.”
Hawke Division instructor PO Les Rust said: Over 750 trainees will work on the project.
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