Help for Heroes

The Captains Charity for 2010, is Help for Heroes.

Help for Heroes was founded by Bryn and Emma Parry after a profoundly moving visit to Selly Oak Hospital in the summer of 2007. Bryn and Emma met some extraordinarily brave young people who had been badly wounded and they just wanted to do something to help.

The charity was launched in October 2007 and, with the backing and support of Celebrities, including Jeremy and Francie Clarkson, The Royal Family, The Media and countless ordinary decent people, it has raised over £1m a month since then.

Help for Heroes is strictly non-political with no affiliation with any political party and they do not endorse the use of their name for the promotion of any political viewpoint. The money that is raised at Help for Heroes is used to support wounded Servicemen and women of every colour and creed and they strongly oppose any individual or political party who believes otherwise, and those who seek to use the charity’s name for their own political gain.

The message is simple: H4H does not seek to criticise or be political, they simply want to help and to do so by asking everyone to do their bit to raise money. Once that money is raised, they go to the experts in the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force for guidance as to how best to spend it. It is their intention to spend all they raise on the practical, direct support of those wounded in the service of our country since 9/11.

Elaine Stubbs, the Lady Captain for 2010, suggested that we jointly support Help for Heroes and as I had seen a recent documentary about the work done at Selly Oak and had been involved in an NHS trust setting up a counselling service for returning soldiers, I was more than happy.

Elaine's son has served in the armed services in Afghanistan and she and her husband Paul feel themselves lucky that he returned unscathed. Other families have been less fortunate.

It is far to easy to forget that whilst there is coverage of the unfortunate service men and women who have given their lives, there are far more, who the public don't see, who have been seriously wounded, losing limbs and their mobility.

We have a number of ideas for how we can support the charity and have also engaged with the National Golf Challenge, which has been set up purely to support H4H with hundreds of golf clubs playing a competition in the same weekend in support. This just happens to coincide with our Club Championships. It would be great to get one of our heroes to come and present the trophies!

On a smaller scale we have chosen, as is the norm, a Captains Hazard. Not a bunker, or a pond, but all of the ditches and water on the 14th hole at Wychwood! And guess what! I was the first one in it!!! £1 Kerching!!!

I am also planning, along with a few other members, to enter at least one, Charity Cycling race this year. Not sure which one, but it will be a minimum  of 40 miles!

Elaine and I are not looking to pester and cajole members to give all the time, but to give them the opportunity to contribute as and when they see fit. We've seen the Charity focus going overboard in the past and we don't want to bore the pants off everyone, but it is a worthy cause and one we hope we can help. 

So remember when you tee up on 14, go for it, and if you find a ditch or water, there is some good coming out of it!

Help for Heroes!