Felix Fund Newsletter Master Autumn 2019.Ai
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Autumn 2019 Felix Fund Newsletter Supporting bomb disposal and search personnel and their families from all British Army Regiments, Royal Navy Clearance Divers, Royal Air Force and the UK Counter Terrorism Command Buy a Coffee for Felix Felix 5ive to row the Atlantic! For just £2.89 a month you can buy a coffee for Felix and help support the men and women of the wider EOD and Search communities who keep us all safe. Visit www.felixfund.org.uk to find out more Felix 5ive Atlantic Row The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge is the premier event in ocean rowing. Covering over 3,000 miles from San Sebastian, Canary Islands to Nelson’s dockyard, Antigua. A team of five intrepid adventurers are taking part to raise funds for Felix Fund. They are; Julian Thomas, Headmaster of Wellington College, Capt James Wadsworth MBE CGC, David Amazonsmile Edwards, Housemaster at Wellington College, Ian Holdcraft, Co-founder of luxury adventure brand Shackelton and David Jarman, British Army bomb disposal officer. When you shop on Amazon you can now The Felix 5ive will face some 40 days at sea coping with sores and blisters, sea sickness and choose to make other illnesses, brutal ocean conditions with storms and 50-foot waves as well as sleep a donation to Felix deprivation, weight loss and an enormous amount of physical and mental stress. Fund. Amazonsmile is a So why are they putting themselves through this hell? Not just for the personal challenge program that donates but to raise funds and awareness for Felix Fund, a charity close to their hearts. 0.5 % of your eligible purchases. Visit Melanie Moughton, CEO of Felix Fund: ‘This is an awe-inspiring challenge and the money https://smile.amazon.co.uk raised by the team will help the awe-inspiring men and women from the bomb disposal and search communities who keep us all safe. We wish the Felix 5ive the best of luck and we will be following their training and progress across the Atlantic closely.’ The team: ‘More people have travelled to space and climbed Everest than have rowed Gift Aid across an ocean. This is a huge challenge and a considerable undertaking that will test us physically and mentally as individuals and a team.’ Remember to use Gift Aid and increase your You can support the team at their Just Giving page: donation by 25p for https://www.justgiving.com/felixfive every £1 you give Registered Charity No. 1142494 Donate You can make a one-off or regular donation to help those still serving, veterans and their dependants. Donate online at https://www.justgiving. com/felixfund/donate Remembrance Run Essex How about running in remembrance on this year’s Remembrance Weekend in aid of Felix £ Fund and RBL? You can choose your distance from 5km, 10km to a more testing half marathon and all races are traffic free and use the flat and fast concrete grounds of the disused former World War 2 airfield. There is also a 1mile fun run so there really is something Give your time for everyone. Date: Saturday 9th November 2019 Visit https://findarace.com/events/ Volunteers are vital to Venue: Carver Barracks, Saffron Waldon remembrance-run-essex charities, but for one as small as Felix Fund they are even more A Great North Run - Running in Memory of SSgt Tony Keating important. Get in touch if you would like to Tragically earlier this year the EOD community lost SSgt volunteer to raise funds Anthony Keating. His brother Michael took on the challenge of and awareness in your running the Great North Run in his brother’s memory and to local area raise funds for Felix Fund, a charity very close to Tony’s heart. With a personal best time of 1:49 Michael completed the run and has so far raised over £2,150 for the charity. If you haven’t yet but wish to sponsor his efforts please do so at: https://www.justgiving.com/Michael-Keating555 Holly Davies Memorial Fund Following the sad death of former Felix Fund CEO, Holly Fundraise Davies in 2014, a fund was set up in her memory. After much consideration and discussions with her family and those who knew her, we announced that the Holly Angharad Davies You can raise money for Memorial Fund would be used to help the children of those Felix Fund in so many killed on active service, as they reach university and higher ways. From a raffle or education. jumble sale to a black tie dinner or even a A one-off grant will be made to individuals who have reached the age of 18 on or after July personal challenge that 2014. The payment will be awarded on application to Felix Fund following the successful you’ve wanted to do completion of their first year of study. for ages ... Is your child eligible? For further information about applying for assistance please Every Penny Counts contact [email protected] Victory An intrepid team of swimmers took to the water in support of Felix Fund in the recent Swim Victory Swim the Lakes. Thank you and well done to all who took part. How your fundraising has supported those in need Some more great fundraising ideas to Here are some statistics to show the help Felix Fund has provided during help Felix Fund the year and the work we have undertaken to ensure we continue to work with and support the wider EOD and Search community. Afternoon 2 300 Tea 400 £135,000 Million 200 FF £ 100 Raffle FF Race Night Over £2m raised 400 attendees on £135,500 given 2 promotional since the charity the Dashboard out in grants in videos started in 2011 programme 2018/2019 to help championing the those in need work of Felix Dog Show Fund We have many fundraising events taking place all the time from Cycle Rides, Victory Swims, Car Wash Indoor Sky Dives, a Bomb Suit Marathon and the Great North Run, to cake sales, raffles and quiz nights - there is always something you can do to support Felix Fund no matter how large or small. Personal Challenge Great Western Park, Didcot A new memorial citation has been placed at the stone on Great Western Park, Didcot which commemorates Black Tie those lost from 11 EOD & S Regt RLC. For those who Dinner don't know there are a number of roads named after these personnel who gave their lives in the line of duty. They are: Non-uniform SSgt Chris Muir – 31 March 2003 Day WO2 Gary J O’Donnell GM & Bar – 10 September 2008 Capt Daniel L Shepherd GM - 20 July 2009 SSgt Olaf S G Schmid GC - 31 October 2009 Football Capt Dan Read – 11 January 2010 Match SSgt Brett G Linley GM - 17 July 2010 Capt Lisa J Head – 19 April 2011 Lest we Forget Make Felix Fund your Dashboard Course chosen charity Residential training courses focusing on mindfulness and awareness Places Available! Felix Fund Shop What better way to show your support of Felix Fund than with something from our online shop. Check out our ‘sale’ section and bag yourself a bargain - when it’s gone, it’s gone! S A L E Row, Row Row your boat! Report from Robin Hope of The Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers. front This year’s charity row raised about £7,500 including a generous donation from the livery’s S charitable funds. A back L E The route followed a similar pattern to other years: Cookham Dean (Woottens Boatyard) to Oxford and back to Marsh Lock spread over 8 days. This means daily distances of about 13/14 miles with 4 or 5 locks per day which can be described as manageable. Just as important, friendly connections offer safe and sound mooring overnight at the various stopping points - 7 in all. S A L The crew came mainly from Thames Traditional Boat Society members, Liverymen from E Lightweight t-shirt GSWD and friends/sponsors who like to be involved in such outings. Whilst the first 2 days £24.00 were wettish all can be described as pleasurable and in good company. In all 6 liverymen and 2 wives actively supported this year’s row. Felix Fund Trustee, Brigadier Gareth Collett, was patron of the row but sadly had to drop out of crewing because of other commitments. However, this year, the 17th charity row undertaken, we had a rather dramatic happening at S Sandford Lock with the crew being John and Susan Greenford and Richard Henchley – all A L experienced scullers. The Assistant Lock Keeper, (maybe in training), placed us directly E behind a Salters steamer with our bow under its stern and no chain for us to hold at our stern. This was in spite of there being plenty of room for the launch and canoe on the other side to move forward as requested by us of the Assistant Lock Keeper. We also asked for the Mens black polo shirt Salters steamer to move forward, but this was also considered unnecessary. As the lock £10.00 emptied our stern was caught on the concrete sill. We shouted at the Assistant Lock Keeper S to stop emptying the lock, and slowly refill it so we could clear the sill. Maybe he panicked A but then opened the sluices fully, and we were engulfed in a torrent of water which L capsized us. The four, 76-year-old plus crew, were left swimming in the lock. The situation E was resolved by the competence of the full time Lock Keeper, Aidan Mahan, who had the day off, but was in his garden by the lock playing with his children.