Office of Veteran’s Affairs (OVA) Project
Regimental headquarters has a database of all the names of those Coldstreamers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2000s, but not all their contact details. However, using the contact details of those who have consented to remain in contact with the Regiment and the Association. We are making steady progress and contacts have thrown up several individuals who have benefitted from some immediate support from the Regiment. As a result Trustees have been able to help Ciaran Muir, a single leg amputee, purchase a van for his new business based in Manchester, involving visiting schools and lecturing to children about how to deal with adversity. We wish him all the best in his new endeavour. There are also 154 members of the 1st Battalion in this cohort, who he is reaching out to. This is work in progress. If you would like to be in contact with Richard or wish to re-establish communications with former comrades, please email Richard.french@ssafa.org.uk or Fran Reid at ara@coldstreamguards.org.uk
We are extremely grateful for the £10,000 grant from the OVA for the outreach project which is part of Richard's work.
£31,000 was raised for the new Coldstream Guards charity (1194650) registered on 2 June 2021 by 15 Coldstreamers who took part in a fundraising ultra marathon in Jordan. Five of them were Afghan veterans. This effort will be repeated in May 2023, this time in a slightly more exotic country – the Spanish Azores. Eleven Coldstream Afghan veterans will be taking part, along with 14 other guardsmen (including 2 officers) from all the other Household Division Regiments. None of them are long distance runners but they are all veterans of the Regiment who have struggled with PTSD or have had difficulties with the transition to civvy street. Regimental Trustees have under-written the Coldstreamers’ entry fees, along with SSAFA. All funds raised will go towards the excellent branch work carried out by SSAFA. The project will attract much sponsorship, positive social media activity and for the runners themselves, it will give them a great sense of comradeship and achievement.
Fundraising for the Coldstream Guards Charity will become harder as the recession in UK bites, and other service charities become less keen to support the welfare work of the Regiment. Trustees budget to spend about £280,000 per annum and a significant part of this expenditure goes towards welfare work. As numbers paying into the One Days Pay scheme diminish with the reductions in establishment, regular donations have diminished from retired officers, and the income from legacies has been variable and unpredictable. So, if you are able, please consider either making a regular donation to the Coldstream Charity, or if you already donate, then please consider increasing your donation. Leaving a legacy to the Regiment is also another good way of helping. Please be in touch with the Assistant Regimental Adjutant, Ms Fran Reid, if you would like further information on Gift Aid or how to help. ara@coldstreamguards.org.uk
