30 NAVY NEWS, JUNE 2008
Oh Mr Sandmen,
Escape
from
bring me
MOD
THE doors of MOD Main
Building will be bursting apart
as Service men and women fl ee
suncream...
to the hills – this is the result
of no threat, but a fundraising
exploit.
‘Escape from MoD’, which
takes place as Navy News goes
to press, will send five teams of
THE Marathon des Sables,
two military personnel, off into
described as the ‘tough-
the wilderness to travel as far as
est footrace on earth’, has
possible from MOD... but then
the sort of reputation that
head back again.
is bound to bring out the
The teams from the Joint
Services Adminstration unit in
Navy...
London are limited by British
Covering 246km of Moroccan
borders and a budget of just £10.
Sahara over seven days in tem-
And all raising money for the
peratures of up to 50˚C, with
Mary Rose School in Portsmouth
competitors carrying all they need
and Help for Heroes.
for the week, it does call upon a
Logs(Pers) Anna Hammersley
certain type of military madness.
explained: “I myself have been
The Royal Marine Doctors
to Headley Court for a period
Team – Surg Lt Dave Potter, Maj
of rehab, and they are fantastic.
Tony Lancashire RM, Surg Lt
I fully agree with the need for a
Steve Gokhale and Surg Lt Cdr
new gym and swimming pool.
Andy Brown – managed to be
“Also some of our unit’s
the second British team past the
personnel have had family spend
finishing post.
time at Headley Court and want
The sun-drenched four managed
to show their appreciation.”
to pull in over £3,000 of sponsor-
She added: “The Mary Rose
ship money for Help for Heroes,
School is very close to the heart
the Devon Air Ambulance, and
of WO1 Andy Rutt.
a local Moroccan charity Facing
“He comes from Portsmouth
Africa.
● The Royal Marine Doctors team on the Marathon des Sables,
and his wife works at the school.
But it’s not just the fresh-faced
comprising Surg Lt Dave Potter, Maj Tony Lancashire RM, Surg Lt
“It’s a school for pupils aged
and still serving who are drawn
Steve Gokhale and Surg Lt Cdr Andy Brown
between two and 19 years with a
to such acts of euphemistic ‘chal-
wide range of severe and complex
lenge’. ● Runner Lt Mark Coyle RNR is congratulated at the end of the
learning needs.
London Marathon by his daughter Naval veterans Mick Monaghan
“They are currently raising
and Martyn Webb, aged 58 and 62
money for a sensory garden and
A marathon dreamer
respectively, (pictured right) also
it is hoped that we can support
pulled on their sandboots to com-
them with this.”
plete the course for St Dunstan’s,
The MOD escapees include:
AS AN unusual celebration of ten years in Reservist unit HMS Calliope the charity that provides lifelong
Cpl Tarsha Holness (Army)
and 25 years in the rail industry, Lt Mark Coyle decided to tackle his fi rst support and rehabilitation to blind
LLogs(Pers) Jon Ryder RN,
full marathon this year. ex-Service men and women.
WO2 Rick Marriott (Army),
The mine warfare specialist was congratulated by his daughter at the Mick said: “We trained for six
LCpl Bill Whyman (Army), WO1
finish line after a sprint down the Mall for beating his four hour target months in order to be in peak
Andy Rutt (Army), PO(Logs)
with a time of 3 hours, 57 minutes, and 21 seconds. physical fitness for the race, but
(Pers) Gary Hammell RN,
To date he has raised £1,400 for the Dreams Come True charity that nothing can prepare you for the
Sgt Sally Brown (Army), Sgt
fulfils the dreams of terminally and seriously ill children. conditions you face and the men-
Martin Hollow (RAF), Lt Tom
You can still pledge your support through www.justgiving.com/ tal and physical exertion involved.
Shaves RN and Cpl Julian Fagan
markcoyle1964 “It was the toughest thing I
(Army).
have every done.”
If you would like to support
Martyn added: “Camaraderie
them, write to:
with the other competitors really
Charity Team
kept us going, as well as knowing
JSAU(L)
that we were raising money to
Horseguards
help St Dunstan’s and the work
Whitehall
they do.”
London SW1A 2AX
The two men raised £13,626
for the charity.
Raleigh brings back
the wooden ship
A FIVE-a-side football tourna- comes with a price tag of £5,000
ment at HMS Raleigh is the ini- – and HMS Raleigh has helped
tial fundraiser for Torpoint Infant them take the first steps along
School’s bid to build a wooden that path.
ship in their school grounds. Headteacher Elisabeth Carney-
A total of 12 teams of trainee Haworth said: “The children
sailors took part, paying a fee to came up with the idea for the
enter and donating loose change wooden ship, which will be used
● Royal Marines Mne Patrick Goddard and L/Cpl Joe Hogan with
Joe Clapson prepare for their Climb Commando challenge
to raise over £115 for the school’s to enrich our outdoor learning
ship project. environment.
Across the
Torpoint Infant School has “They have been fully involved
been working with Touchwood in the design and will also be able
Enterprises, an organisation that to take part in the building of the
helps to educate children about ship.”
woodwork. The school hopes to have all
The children’s ambition for a completed all the necessary fund-
Alps on foot
wooden ship for their playground raising this summer.
Inflation on Out of
a penny
Fundraising is a
FOUR friends have joined forces to take on the Climb Commando chal-
lenge, scaling two of Western Europe’s higher peaks in aid of a cystic
the cold
fi brosis charity.
SSAFA Forces Help have put a
FORMER Royal Marine David backward step
Royal Marines L/Cpl Joe Hogan and Mne Patrick Goddard will be
joined by Joe Clapson and Ed Cooper in their efforts to raise money for
hike on infl ation, launching their
Leaning has returned from the
new campaign ‘A pound for your
snow fi elds of Norway, hav-
VISITORS to the Brighton seafront in April may have been somewhat
the CF Trust.
thoughts’.
ing spent four months skiing the
bemused by the sight of a Whoopee Cushion, Gorilla and Seagull
Joe Hogan, whose brother suffers with the debilitating condition, said:
The SSAFA Pound Pack asks
1,625-mile length of the country. (among others) walking backwards beside the seaside...
“When we decided to raise money for the CF Trust we wanted a truly
mountainous challenge.
people to donate £1 by placing a
With temperatures dropping These unlikely promenaders were, in fact, the enthusiastic folk of
“We thought running across the Alps and climbing Mont Blanc and
coin into a medal printed onto a
down to -35°C, David suffered the Sussex University Royal Naval Unit (URNU) in the midst of their
the Monte Rosa would do the trick.
specially-designed card. There is
several injuries en route, but noth- 3.5-mile sponsored backwards-walk from Hove to Brighton Marina.
“We just hope we can raise as much money as possible for a cause
also space for a message of sup-
ing to daunt him from his deter- Mid Hamish Maxwell – a ‘glitterbandit’ – said: “For once, one step
which is very close to our hearts.”
port for troops and families.
mined journey – not even when forwards and two steps back paid off!” While Officer Cadet Tom
The four friends aim to raise £10,000 by conquering two peaks of
All proceeds will go to help the
his ski boots fell apart... Meineck – The Hulk – enjoyed the opportunity to glean a few sneaky
4,810m and 4,634m, and running, walking and climbing the 160km
charity provide a ‘Home from
At the end of his lengthy trip, pints along the way.
between the two.
Home’ in Birmingham to support David was met by his father ‘Spud’
S/Mid ‘Sparks’ Downing – who paired up with his command-
Polar explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes has agreed to be the patron of the the families of injured troops.
Leaning, himself a former com- ing officer Lt Si Latus as ‘118 men’ – added: “It was a thoroughly
Climb Commando expedition. Anyone who wishes to distrib-
mando and Olympic biathlete. enjoyable day with some fantastic costumes making appearances.
The CF Trust is the UK’s only national charity dedicated to cystic ute the packs to their local com-
His efforts were to raise money Blessed by good weather and the generosity of the Brighton public,
fibrosis, and is committed to improving the lives of people with the con- munity should contact SSAFA on for the Mines Advisory Group,
the walk was a monumental success.”
dition and raise the profile. 020 7463 9320. which works in Angola, Cambodia, The earnest URNU fundraisers (pictured above in all their glory)
You can support their efforts through www.justgiving.com/ An electronic version is avail- Iraq and Vietnam: www. managed to garner from sponsorship and collections £720 for the
climbcommando able online at www.ssafa.org.uk. skinorway.org.uk Newhaven RNLI, the unit’s affiliated charity.
0030-031_NN_jun08.indd 130-031_NN_jun08.indd 1 116/5/08 16:29:276/5/08 16:29:27
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