Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Those of you that know me will already know that I am not one to ask for your support lightly. 

I am joining a group of like minded friends to replicate the 1982 yomp across the Falkland Islands. The yomp is a physically demanding 124Km trek accross difficult terrain consisting of peat bog, tussock grass and rock in winds in excess of 20mph. We will set off from San Carlos Bay on the west coast of East Falkland on 9th February, arriving in Port Stanley around 5 days later. We will camp out and use sheep sheds and outhouses for overnight rest. Whilst nothing can truly replicate the hardships and difficulty experienced by our armed forces the expedition is still a unique challenge and I hope you will do what you can to support this excellent charity. 

If you did not know I was a member of the original 'Task Force' which helped liberate the Falklands in 1982. Still a young man, I volunteered and went in the capacity of a merchant seaman on the Canberra sailing from Southampton to the Ascension Islands on to South Georgia and finally the Falklands . At first light, we dropped the main compliment of fighting troops at San Carlos Water and later collected more troops from the QE2 and took them on to the Falklands. At the end of the war Canberra loaded Argentinian prisoners of war and took them back to Argentina. Finally, we collected the Marines and Paras from Port Stanley (sadly with some faces we had come to know missing) and brought them back to a hero's welcome in Southampton.

During all this I saw the RAF provide massive support in many forms with considerable risk to themselves. Harrier jump jets and a variety of helicopters were a common sight. I recollect attending to a ditched helicopter pilot being brought aboard and cared for in the hospital area who had lost a number of crew and passengers.  

The only part of the 'loop' missing for myself is the 124Km section from San Carlos to Port Stanley. So, when I was aware that this expedition was being undertaken by the April Fools Club  to raise much needed funds I was keen to join them.

The project we are raising funds for involves the creation of a new respite home comprising two self-contained apartments for use by serving and retired force personnel and their families.  So many of our military return from conflict with welfare needs, serious injury, mental health problems and sometimes consequential financial pressures.  Sadly there are also an increased number of single parent families within the serving RAF where relationships have broken down and one of the parents has access to their children for weekends but nowhere to take them. 

These new apartments will offer The Benevolent Fund the opportunity to meet these welfare needs through dedicated buildings that will be maintained and supported by the Fund in the future.  Each apartment will comprise two bedrooms and will be constructed to meet medical standards and be disabled friendly.

The new apartments would be named after the April Fools Club and would be adjacent to Princess Marina House in Rustington, near Littlehampton.  The total cost of the project is likely to be in the region of £300,000 with construction commencing late May, 2015 and first occupants by the end of the year.

I hope you agree that this fulfils the objective of creating a tangible project that can provide welfare support to the RAF community.

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