Help
For Heroes
Support for Our Wounded Soldiers
“What is Help for Heroes all about? It’s
about the blokes. It’s about Derri, a rugby
player who has lost both his legs, it’s about
Carl whose jaw is wired up so he has been
drinking through a straw. It’s about Richard
who was handed a mobile phone as he lay on
the stretcher so he could say goodbye to his
wife. It is about Ben, Stephen, Andy and Mark
and it’s about them all. They are just blokes
but they are our blokes; they are our heroes.
We want to help our heroes.” Bryn Parry
Who Are They?
Help for Heroes is the idea of Bryn and Emma
Parry who wanted to do something practical
to help the wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan.
It was formed to support wounded servicemen
and women on 1st October 2007. Volunteers
have joined them and the head of the Army,
General Sir Richard Dannatt, supports them.
What Are They Doing?
Help for Heroes first task is to raise money
to help build a swimming pool and gym complex
at Headley Court, the tri service rehabilitation
centre at Leatherhead. The servicemen and
women deserve the very best facilities to
help them recover from their terrible wounds
and by supporting Help for Heroes you can
do something practical to show you appreciate
them.
The Big Battlefield Bike Ride
Fund raising has already begun for our Heroes
in Iraq and Afghanistan. Plans are underway
for an event called “The Big Battlefield Bike
Ride”. Bryn Parry is recruiting and leading
300 volunteers to cross from Portsmouth to
Normandy and then ride through the battlefields
of Normandy, Picardy and Somme before finishing
in London on Sunday 1st June 2008. It will
be a physically challenging but achievable
ride, designed to link in the public mind
Britain’s historic battlefields with those
of today, and to raise awareness of the needs
of our wounded. Each rider will become a fundraiser,
assured and inspired in the knowledge that
every effort expended in meeting the challenge
will directly benefit our casualties. Below
is a map of the route that the volunteers
will be taking to raise money for our Heroes.
To take part, call 0845 673 1760 or to register
your very own event click on http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/eventregistration.html
Show Your Support
You can show your support by donating on
the Help for Heroes website or by buying merchandise
from the official Help for Heroes shop on
their website. Wristbands are the most popular
item bought and it is something you can wear
all the time.
Visit the website for further information:
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/index.html
Picture Source: Help for Heroes
Article by Pardeep Singh Virdee