Welsh Warrior The Richard Hunt Foundation
Welcome to Welsh Warrior the blog of The Richard Hunt Foundation.
The Richard Hunt Foundation is being setup in memory of Richard Hunt the 200th service person to loose their life in Afghanistan. The driving force for this foundation are Richards family, they want his name to be remembered and to raise awareness for the many injured service men and women who's stories go untold. The foundation aim to work with other charities that support our brave troops, such as Help For Heroes, Support Our Soldiers. The foundation is still in its infancy but the momentum is strong and plans are in place already for some major events.
For anyone wishing to contribute or make a donation to the Richard Hunt Foundation just click on the donate button below every donation counts no matter what the amount. Thank you for your time keep visiting to keep up to date with all the news.
Registered Charity No 1134637
Three peaks trial thankyou
Special Thanks
To Glen –Yr-Afon House Hotel, Usk and their Head Chef Julie Carey and her team Jo, Emma, Joel and Gareth who kindly made and donated many delicious cakes. To Susan Underhill for her baking marathon she has done over these past few days and to the Spar in Usk for donating Welsh Cakes, to Phil Jones for donating fruit for our supporters. And to ALL of our supporters for taking part and raising money for the “Welsh Warrior” Richard Hunt Foundation and helping us support our troops.
One extra special thanks goes to Chris and the Cardiff outdoor group to for allowing us to piggy back on their event to help us raise money for our Charity.
Donation
Abergavenny Town Council have made a donation of £2,000 to The Richard Hunt Foundation. This donation to our charity will cover the cost of the toilets, safety fencing and staff and volunteer t-shirts for the up coming Welsh Warrior Festival being held in Bailey Park on the 15th of May.
All we need now are for some other beneficiaries to cover the stage, lighting, and other minor costs and every penny raised on the day will benefit our wounded and injured service men and women.
If you know of any business people or organisations who would like to get involved please dont hesitate to contact us at info@welshwarrior.co.uk
Charity Wristbands
The Welsh Warrior Richard Hunt Foundation is now available for sale on EBay. The wristbands are black and green and have The Richard Hunt Foundation on one side and Welsh Warrior on the other.
The wristbands are priced at £2.50 plus £1.50 p&p.
They are also available at Waterston’s, Barclays Bank and Shackletons in Abergavenny. The Vine Tree in Llangattock also has them available.
We are always looking for other outlets to sell them through so if you have a shop, pub, barbers or hairdressers, butchers or bakers we would like to hear from you if you are interested in selling the wristbands or having one of our collection tubs.
All monies raised go directly back into the charity, we are a non profit organisation awaiting our charity number to be issued by the Charity Commission.
T’was the night before Christmas
T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE,
MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY,
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO,
IN THIS HOME, DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES,
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT,
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR,
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED,
A BRITISH SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO,
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES,
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS,
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE,
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM,
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER,
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE,
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT,
A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES,
AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED,
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL,
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED,
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE,
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR,
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."
Offical Foundation launch party
This Friday at The Angel Hotel in Abergavenny, we are officially launching The Richard Hunt Foundation.
In attendance will be representatives from the Welsh Regiments, 1st The Queens Dragoon Guards, The Welsh Guards, The Royal Welsh, local dignitaries and Businessmen and women from the local community. Members of the Pilgrim Bandits including Richard "Nooky" Nauyokas of bad lad’s army fame, the pilgrim bandits have just completed an arduous trek across the Sahara. One of our patrons Christian Malcolm British Olympic athlete will be present.
We aim to promote the Foundation to the local community through the launch and media.
Three Peaks Trial
The Three Peaks Trial is an organised challenge walk arranged each year in March by the Cardiff Outdoor Group. The Walk was first held in March 1963 and was designed for less experienced walkers who wanted to test their powers of endurance and skill at map reading. It is the third oldest event of its type in the UK. Over the years the event has been modified so in 2010 there is a choice of four routes:
*
Platinum Route:This is a linear walk of about 17 miles and 5000' of ascent from Llanthony to Abergavenny over Bal Mawr, Pen Cerrig Calch and Sugar Loaf. Entry to the Platinum Route is limited to 100. Although the Platinum Route is shorter than the Gold, the ascents are steeper and navigation more challenging, hence the higher grading.
*
Gold Route: This is the original challenge, a circular walk of about 20 miles and 5000' of ascent, which crosses over three prominent peaks around Abergavenny in Monmouthshire: Blorenge, Sugar Loaf and Skirrid. This route is never far from civilisation yet there is no obvious route so that concentration on map reading is essential to keep to the best route.
*
Silver Route: This is a circular walk of about 15 miles and 4000' of ascent. It follows the Gold Route from Abergavenny over Blorenge and Sugar Loaf, then descends back to Abergavenny.
*
Bronze Route: This is a circular walk of about 10 miles and 2000' of ascent. The route goes from Abergavenny to the summit of Sugar Loaf, descending by a different path.
For more information and sponsor forms visit our web site and go to the fundraising link.
Event Volunteers Wanted
After Today's meeting with Monmouth Council, we can now ask for the following.
Event Marshalls (over 2 days) Must be over 18 and physically fit.
Local Bands, Acts and Displays.
Vendors of Trade stands.
Vendors for Food pitches.
Please get in touch at info@welshwarrior.co.uk
Injured toll doubles in a year
Nearly 1,000 Service personnel have been wounded in action in Afghanistan, the latest casualty figures have disclosed. The latest figures that cover upto the 15th October. The figures show that up to October 15, 386 Service personnel had been wounded in action, taking the toll of injured since 2001 to 940. All but ten have occurred since 2006.
According to the Ministry of Defence figures, more than four members of the Armed Forces are being wounded for every death. In 2006, 85 were wounded and 234 the following year. In 2008, 235 were injured. The numbers who have been “very seriously” or “seriously” wounded have also increased sharply.
In 2006, the first year of combat with the Taleban in Helmand, 31 Service personnel received injuries in these two categories. In 2007 the total rose to 63 and in 2008 it was 65. This year the number has doubled to 121.
The MoD said that the figures reflected the “torrid summer” faced by troops in Helmand, with the Taleban laying improvised explosive devices.
All the seriously wounded are flown to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Selly Oak in Birmingham. Defence sources said that there were contingency plans for taking seriously wounded servicemen to other hospitals in the area, but at present the Selly Oak hospital could cope with the influx of injured.
Those who have lost limbs or suffered permanent brain damage are cared for at the MoD’s rehabilitation centre at Headley Court, near Dorking, Surrey.
We shall continue to raise public awareness on these often hiden figures.
Music & Family Fun Day
Hi
As you are aware Richard Hunt was the 200th service person to loose their life in Afghanistan.
Hazel Hunt the mother of Richard did not want him to die in vain so along with family and
friends set up The Richard Hunt Foundation.
We have been holding talks with Monmouthshire County Council and have now confirmed a
date for a Music and Family fun day to raise funds and awareness for our injured and
often forgotten heroes. In the ten weeks since Richard passed away we have raised in
excess of £10,000 this has gone to Help For Heroes, The Poppy Appeal and other charity
organisations. We hope to continue to raise funds and see this the first of hopefully
many large scale events to be held.
We can now announce the date of the Music and Family fun day to be held at Bailey Park in
Abergavenny on the 15th May 2010.
The day will consist of live music from a wide variety of bands, displays, funfair, trade
stalls, food and drink. The planning is in the very early stages but we believe we have
a very good team working on this event and we have had so many offers of support it is
overwhelming.
For more information please contact us.
Eirwen Rogers
Events Co-Ordinator
01873 810105
info@welshwarrior.co.uk
The Richard Hunt Foundation
Music and Family Fun Day
Just had a very productive meeting with Monmouthshire County Council.
The Richard Hunt Foundation will be holding its first music and family fun day at Bailey Park in Abergavenny on the 15th of May 2010. This will be an all day music, funfair, shows and displays along with trade stalls. The venue can hold 5,000 people further details will be on the websites events page.