This is what its all about - please read this to inspire you to give .... PLEASE SUPPORT US.

Dear H4H Supporter,

On 4th June, a glorious sunny day, His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales was present at the official opening of the new H4H Rehabilitation Complex at Headley Court. Prince William spoke movingly, as a serving RAF pilot, former soldier and fundraiser as well as a royal prince, about those wounded in the service of our country and expressed his gratitude to all those ordinary people who have contributed to the £8m state of the art facility. This is his speech:

"When my brother Harry and I first came to Headley Court two years ago, we were unsure about what to expect. As soldiers, we had heard of the great sacrifices of our fellow Servicemen, the horrific injuries being suffered by them in the service of our country. We expected to find a place of suffering with, perhaps, a pervading atmosphere of desolation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here reigns courage, humour, compassion and, above all, hope for the future.

How can this be? Well, part of it - it seems to me - is down to the extraordinary spirit and indomitable nature of the British soldier, sailor and airman. However, it is also about individual courage, the refusal to give up - even in those darkest moments that each and every one of you must have gone through. But if courage is the foundation stone of recovery, the unconditional love and support of friends and family, and the unstinting dedication and selfless care of the staff here, and at Selly Oak, are the tools by which this stone is levered into place. And that unconditional love is exemplified by that of Help for Heroes for this place, Headley Court. This great day – the opening of this state-of-the art complex behind me – has been brought about by this unique charity and the millions who support it.

Very occasionally – perhaps once or twice in a generation – something or someone pops up to change the entire landscape. Help for Heroes, under the magnificent and brilliantly quirky leadership of the mad cartoonist, Bryn, and his equally inspirational wife, Emma, is one such phenomenon.

What it has achieved here at Headley Court is, in truth, but the tip of the iceberg. Help for Heroes has galvanised the entire British people. Always supportive of its men and women in uniform, this country has been elevated by Help for Heroes to a state of realisation and proactive support for our military that has made me, personally, very, very proud to be British, and a member of our Armed Forces.

The challenge for the charity now, having created this huge momentum, is where to go next. Needless to say, Bryn, John Cleese-like, is tearing on ahead of us as usual, blazing the trail, now intent upon ensuring a secure and fulfilling future for those to whom we owe so much, once they leave the sanctuary of Headley Court. His next vital goal is the rehabilitation of the Heroes… and I pity anyone inadvertently standing in this man’s way.

Bryn, on behalf of everyone – thank you for all you’ve done and all you plan to do. And to the staff and patients of Headley Court, your joint professionalism and dedication to duty are quite simply beyond words.”

The complex is superb, truly state of the art, and everyone who walked around it said that it really has the ‘wow factor’ that will ensure the patients can see how much they are appreciated by the British public. You, the supporters and fundraisers of H4H, have made it possible; it is wonderful, well done.

The opening of the H4H Rehabilitation Complex is a fantastic achievement but it is but the first step on the first rung of a very long ladder, which we need to climb to give our wounded Heroes the very best support for life.

We are working on plans to provide more through life support to include both physical and mental support for the injured and their families. It will cost a great deal and will take all our efforts but it, like Headley Court, will be worth it when we see our blokes getting the very best support our money can buy.

I am sometimes asked what people can do, they say that they can’t give or do much. I say that every single act or event, every cheque, big or small, is making a huge difference. When you add all the little acts of support together they make a very big difference; they create places like our new H4H Rehab Complex.

I first heard this story at a wonderful service for H4H at Wells Cathedral. I think it sums up what we are doing at H4H; hundreds of thousands of individuals, all joining together in a common cause and making a difference. That’s it!

“While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it back into the ocean. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.

The old man smiled, and said, "I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?"

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out.

If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, "But young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, "It made a difference for that one."

Keep going, spread the word, do your bit and together, make a difference!

Thank you,

Onwards and ever upwards!

Bryn

 

 

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