Currently the summer of 2012 seems fairly typical for the UK.

We’ve had some fairly horrible weather and limited hope of any lengthy periods of sunshine.  For some, the weather is not the main factor impacting their enjoyment of the summer. 

Throughout the summer of 2012, I will be running a number of road races to support the Parachute Regiment Charity including the British 10K and the Great South Run.

I started running in the summer of 1981 when I joined 10 PARA.  A year later in the summer of1982, the Regiment suffered 40 killed and 90 wounded in the Falklands War.  

The officers and soldiers of the Regiment continue to serve.  All four Battalions of the Regiment have been deployed on a number of occasions to Afghanistan over recent years.  To date the Regiment has suffered some 24 killed and 150 or so who have been sufficiently wounded to have to leave the service. 

The Parachute Regiment Charity looks after our serving soldiers, whether they served in the Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere with the Regiment, even if not on active operations. If wounded, injured, in need of specialist help or in financial need or distress, they are there to help. They also look after the needs of their families who are inevitably affected.

Please support me if you can and enjoy the summer…