After a three-year hiatus, our Military Injury team were delighted to return to the Mess of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in the Tower of London on Thursday 10 November. We welcomed charity guests and those connected to the welfare of military personnel, veterans and their families to discuss current issues.
The Tower Dinner is a great opportunity to meet with those who’re important to the military community. Earlier this year, we celebrated our ERS Gold award, and explored the themes of resilience and wellbeing, whilst acknowledging the link between sport and the military.
At the Tower of London, we were joined by the Royal British Legion, who we work closely with. The event took place on the eve of Remembrance Day, which was poignant for all gathered there.
Some of our guests included representatives from:
- Walking With The Wounded
- Rugby for Heroes
- Pilgrim Bandits
- The White Ensign Association
- Defence Medical Welfare Service.
Following the opening of our Cardiff office, representatives of YourNorth and a regional liaison office for the Armed Forces Covenant were also present. One of the most rewarding things about the evening was the links that guests discovered they shared, and we’re proud those conversations are continuing.
We were delighted to hear from a range of speakers. We heard first from Ben Gallagher, a Hereford soldier who was seriously injured on active duty in 2019. He’s now a veteran, athlete, and explorer. As part of his recovery Ben volunteered for Kajak4Heroes and undertook a gruelling journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats. He also completed the Marathon des Sables in 2022, raising money for Walking With the Wounded.
Ben spoke about the power of the outdoors and the need for routine in training. He also discussed mental health following his own diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. It was a powerful presentation and a dynamic starting point for the event.
The head of our Southampton Military Injury team Andrew Buckham, who was formerly a Major in the Army Legal Service, welcomed the guests. Andrew’s speech included anecdotes from his life in service.
Our final speaker was Lieutenant Colonel Tim Clarke who spoke about the vital work undertaken by Stanford Hall and their plans for the future. Tim’s a trustee of the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) Benevolent Fund, which supports serving military patients at DMRC Stanford Hall. We’re proud to have supported the charity with fundraising events and we were delighted to hear more about the work they do. This includes the rehabilitation journey, the effect on patients’ families and their expressed desire just to do normal things after life-changing injuries.
The evening was rounded off by a jovial Yeoman Warder who gave us a speedy history of the Tower before taking guests to the Ceremony of the Keys. This ancient ritual takes place when the Tower’s main gates are locked for the night. The challenge to the keyholder was made by the Ghurkhas and ended with a spine-tingling rendition of the Last Post.
We avoided being locked in and hurried away from the Tower of London with superb memories and lots of key takeaways for the future.
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