The veterans charity

The Veterans Charity was founded in March 2008 to support UK Veterans of all generations. We provide rapid support to Veterans facing hardship and distress. We supply essentials like food shopping, clothing, household items like kitchenware and single appliances, utilities support and even smartphones/tablets to aid vital communication. Despite being a small, mostly self-funded charity, operating on a very small budget, since 2011, we have provided support to more than 4500 Veterans and their families.

The forces march

The Forces March is based on a march undertaken by men of the legendary Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry during WWII, where they marched from Illfracombe to Bulford around 135 miles. Major Howard's D Company, Ox and Bucks, were later selected to spearhead the entire Allied invasion on D-Day. Thanks to their astounding fitness and training, the men achieved their almost impossible objective - to capture the legendary PEGASUS BRIDGE, in under 10 minutes.

My story

Having joined the Army at 16 in January 2008, I completed 20 weeks of basic training at Bassingbourn before passing out as a craftsman in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). I then moved on to Arborfield where I completed phase 2 training where I trained to be an electronics technician. I then went on to 4 close support battalion, while there I completed further training, went to Canada on exercise winter repair and took part in various exercises around the UK. I then went to Bovington for a short posting at the crew training school before returning to 4 CS BN to deploy to Afghanistan for a 6 month tour on Op Herrick 16. I left the army in 2014 and worked for a company building emergency service vehicles. I did do a short stint as a reservist with 6 Bn The rifles completing training and exercises as a rifleman around the UK. The rifles being a descendant of the Ox and Bucks regiment who completed the original training march! I am now currently and auto electrician working on HGVs.

Thank you so much for your support the veterans charity is a great charity and your money will be put to great use!