Author: Corinne Day

A collection was made for the benefit of three charities including BFF, who provide entertainment to boost morale across the Armed Forces, the RNRMC and the RNBT (Admiral Jellicoe House).

Representatives from Admiral Jellicoe House were invited to HMS Sultan to receive a donation of £350.

Base Warrant Officer, WO1 Daniel ‘Bouncy’ Castle said: “The RNBT provides fantastic welfare support, especially in terms of dementia care for older members of the service community.

“The wrap around care they provide is a great example of the ‘serve a day, supported for life’ work that they undertake, and we are delighted to be able to show our support.”

Jade Delaney the Deputy Home Manager at Admiral Jellicoe House said: “I can’t thank HMS Sultan WO & SR’s mess enough for all the support that they have shown Admiral Jellicoe House since our opening in June 2022. From inviting us to their meat raffles and Christmas dinners, to now donating money for us to buy a Christmas tree for our residents and relatives to enjoy over the Christmas period, we really are so grateful.”

Guests, including the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth and the RM Corps of Drums,  gathered to celebrate Alan’s special day.

The Royal Marines Corp of Drums performed a spectacular display of music and on completion family and close friends gathered for a small party.  It was a very special day for everyone and especially Alan.

RNBT assists our most needy people who only have a very low household income with a regular payment to help make ends meet. We have recognised the impact of the recent rise in the cost of living, particularly on utility bills, and to help offset the impact, particularly in the difficult winter months ahead we recently increased our amount.

If you are on a low income and are struggling with the cost of living please get in touch with RNBT.

 

 

Helping those in need
RNBT last year gave over £3m, to those in the naval community in need, 19% of payments were to those living in the West Country. This year applications for help are increasing by over 12%. The Trust’s message was that they needed everyone’s help in making sure that all those in need from the naval community knew who to turn to in hard times. They also told delegates about the new online portal – Lightning Reach – which allows people to ask for help securely on-line, leading to rapid assistance for those in the most urgent need. The conference heard from one particularly grateful couple from Tavistock who praised RNBT for their help: RNBT was ‘a real safety net, a real lifebuoy when we needed it.’

There was also exciting news for Plymouth veterans: RNBT is looking for a site to build a care home in the area. Having successfully built a new care home in Portsmouth last year, it is now Plymouth’s turn and the search for a suitable site has already started. Commodore Russell Best OBE, RNBT’s
Chair of Trustees, explained: ‘We would very much like to be able to build a care home in the Plymouth area and I would love to be able to announce the start of a construction project – but these things take time.’ He added that the search for a site was already underway: ‘The site has to be right for us, with good transport links so that staff and residents’ families can get to it easily. We are leaving no stone unturned in seeking the right place to start. We
have learned to be patient but I would like to enlist your help; if you know of great site of about 1 ¼ or 1 ½ acres in size do let us know!’

The event will be even more challenging as he’s going to complete the entire distance along Southsea seafront, walking from the public conveniences at Eastney up to Curtain Moat pedestrian bridge between Clarence Pier and Old Portsmouth – no fewer than ten times.

The big day is on Saturday 2 September, starting at around 05:30, with the aim of finishing mid-afternoon. Nigel said: “I served in the Royal Navy for 26 years, and it’s now time for me to give something back by raising as much as I can for veterans at Admiral Jellicoe House. “Whilst I’ve taken part in many charity events over the years, this is the first time I’ve attempted anything requiring this level of endurance. I’ve been doing weight and CV
training up to four times a week at my local gym, and at weekends I’ve been walking between 12 and 24 miles with my Bergen. “Southsea seafront also has a very popular Parkrun at 09:00 on Saturdays. I’ve had some fun with the runners on my training walks recently but most of them are fine and run around me. If you’re in the area of the day, why not pop down, grab a brew and say hi. I will welcome the
company!”

The New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth was the venue for our fantastic Centenary Concert by the fabulously talented The Bands of HM Royal Marines (Collingwood).

Our thanks go to our sponsors, Buzzword, ITEC, SSCL and BAE Systems and all those who supported us by purchasing programmes, raffle tickets and merchandise, to all the staff at the theatre and of course the amazing band members.

RNBT Chair, Cdre Russell Best OBE and trustees thanked outgoing President Vice Admiral Sir Charles Montgomery KBE for nearly 10 years’ service, and welcomed Admiral Sir Tim Fraser KCB as our new President at a Great Cabin dinner onboard HMS VICTORY attended by Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Martin Connell CBE.  Many thanks to 2SL’s Embassy staff for the superb meal and service.