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Guys and guyess',
We have been passed a letter and asked to publicise the event. The text of the letter is below (so you can copy and paste it into any other forums you use) and a Jpg of the letter attached so you can see the original genuine article. You help to support this event and help in publicising it will be much appreciated:

Inspector RD Williams
West Midlands Police,
Airport Police Unit,
Diamond House,
Birmingham International Airport,
Birmingham.
B26 3QJ

Dear Sir/Madam,

Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham

One of the saddest duties that we police officers here at Birmingham International Airport have to perform is policing the arrival of the medical evacuation flights from Afghanistan and Iraq. We have decided that we would like to do something to help those men and women who are injured in the course of their service for their country. We have, accordingly, been in touch with the officers in command of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, based at Selly Oak Hospital, to see how we can help. They would like to develop their facilities by creating a restful garden area that would be of particular benefit to those soldiers who have to stay long-term, as well as the visiting families of all soldiers. We have also requested the military to prepare a list of all other items required to make the stay of soldiers and families as comfortable as possible. We have accordingly, committed ourselves to raising the money necessary to fulfil these projects. We have decided that all excess funds raised will be donated to a selection of Forces’ charities: the three Benevolent Funds, BLESMA and St Dunstan’s, for example.

We plan to raise this money on 15 March 2008, by pulling a plane across the apron of the Elmdon terminal of Birmingham International Airport. We have secured a plane for this purpose from Flybe. We will then recreate the journey of the wounded from the airport to the RCDM at Selly Oak, by carrying a stretcher and ‘patient’, a journey of 14 miles.

It has been decided that, to demonstrate the true variety of support for this venture, members of the three services will be joining us, members of the Airport Fire Service and the Ambulance Service will also be invited.

I would be very pleased if your organisation felt that it was able to support us in this charitable, non-political, venture to recognise our debt to these young men and women. If you are, would you please make any cheque payable to the ‘Airport Police Charity Fund’?

I thank you in advance for your support. Unless you request otherwise, please understand that I will not be issuing a receipt, so as to reduce our costs to a minimum. If you would like a receipt please consider providing an e-mail address.

Yours sincerely,
Inspector RD Williams

Click to see full size image

Wind your wonger out!!
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Jimbo · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 8:36 pm Post subject:

A copy of that letter needs to be put into every pack of music for MFM, then invite donations and send off all monies raised, especially with the upcoming shenanigans in the sand for 36 of us!

This is of course my own opinion and is not intended represent the opinions of my organisation in any way shape or form !!!! SO THERE

!
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lesbryan · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 9:33 pm Post subject:

Jimbo · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 9:39 pm Post subject:

Sharpy · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 9:53 pm Post subject:

Im with you Jim, I think its a cracking idea mate!! Make sure PDM has one in his pack to though!!!
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lesbryan · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:23 pm Post subject:

Pusser · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 9:02 am Post subject:

I do some voluntary Sec work for a local hospital League of Friends and frequently encounter fund raising activities like this for various facilities. Clearly a very worthwhile cause which should be supported but I cannot help thinking how the need for such an effort should never have been created.

The Gov/MoD/NHS foundering in their duties. There are some really beautiful quiet, open garden spaces at Haslar, alongside some wonderful fresh, clean sea air. Remember Haslar? That's the old Military Hospital that no-one needs and is closed down (except...shhhh... it ain't actually closed yet....they sneaky NHS types are still using it as a surgical hospital....not many people know that.)

Grips my, it really does.
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Pusser!

Caretaker · Guest

There is now a website for the above fundraiser.

http://www.forceshospitalcharity.org/Site/Welcome.html

Caretaker · Guest

Quick update.

Inspector Williams has now reached the £10'000 target and it keeps rolling in.

We wish him all the best and lots of fun for the event on Saturday.

admin · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:46 am Post subject:

Outstanding effort by the chaps and a hearty congratulations. Hopefully the money will continue to roll in
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admin · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 1:34 pm Post subject:

The event was a roaring success and they have more than passed the £10000 target

Photos of the event from Insp Williams:

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Caretaker · Guest

latest info is that Rob has reached over £15'000. That is more than enough to complete the garden and the rest is going to other military charities. Outstanding effort Rob and is much appreciated by all who will benefit.

May I add also that every single penny raised is going towards the charities. NO expenses have been taken from anything raised.

Well done Insp Williams and all his team.

Caretaker · Guest

Bit more info for you.

http://baess.blogspot.com

admin · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 9:22 am Post subject:

Hot off the press:
“Pulling Together”

The day, that is now etched on all our memories, is now two months old. Two months in which money has continued to flow into our coffers, indeed today, I received a cheque from Lincolnshire Police for £500 that was totally unexpected. I still have money that is due to come in and, if it all comes in as expected, we will have raised just short of £20,000. We are now wracking our brains, which doesn’t take long, to try to figure out how to raise the shortfall. £20,000 just has such a nice ring about it.

I don’t know about you, but I still look back on that day with such tremendous pride. Even now, over Sunday lunch, my two teenagers still say, “You know, that day was just awesome.” But just what have we managed to achieve? Well, all of the money for the garden has long since been raised and will be handed over just as soon as the military say they’re ready. We visited them two weeks ago to discuss our plans for the rest of the money, as we wanted to buy them some laptops. It turned out they had just been given some by the Army; but they had also just bought a new plasma TV. Well, once the invoice reaches us, that will be £1,000 the RCDM have to spend on other things. We also gave them some photos of the day. The following day, and what a surprise this was, they turned up at a meeting held by the Airport Company to talk about their work and to thank us with a superb photo of some of the patients saying ‘thank you’ to us! All the airport partners really appreciated what was said. Then the Airport gave me a bottle of champagne; rest assured that will be consumed in a short while when the organising committee, and two key members of the airport staff, get together…I think we’ve earned it.

We’ve also donated over £2,000 to SSAFA. They are buying and converting some flats near to the RCDM for the use of the families of those injured. They need £5m and were very grateful to be told we were going to help them. £500 has also gone to the Solihull branch of the Royal British Legion. They gave us the collecting tins for the day and it has been agreed that the money will go to their ‘Troop Aid’ appeal. Some of us have also agreed to help come Poppy Appeal time.
Two charities we hoped we’d be able to help, if we raised enough (!), were BLESMA and St Dunstan’s. Well, I’ve just finished talking with both of them and they, too, are very pleased with our efforts. We have agreed to sponsor two ex-soldiers to go skiing with BLESMA next winter and to sponsor four more on St Dunstan’s autumn activity week this September. When I read the literature BLESMA sent me about how valuable the skiing trip is, it left me feeling very humble indeed. It’s a privilege to be able to help.

We will still have some money left over and so have agreed to help RCDM with some ventures in the near future. Be reassured that not a penny will be wasted. If your sponsorship money still hasn’t made it to me yet, just do your best, I’m prepared to wait!

What else did we achieve? Well, we made some more friends, not least amongst those who took part. I know that RCDM and ourselves have been invited to HMS Forward for their summer sports evening. I can’t go, but plenty of our group will be there. The Airport Fire Service admitted to having been inspired by what we did, and are now organising a sponsored bike ride from the airport to Brize Norton and then back to RCDM. They will be helping to refurbish a day room. Good luck!

A local junior school, my old one to be exact, raised £110 for us and now want to organise a shoebox appeal this Christmas. Local Freemasonry groups want to put money into the RCDM too. We are also trying to get a chemist group, like Boots/Lloyds/Superdrug, to help us with another venture. We want to provide toiletries bags to give to RCDM, so that those soldiers who arrive in Birmingham with literally nothing, will at least have some essentials to keep them going.

And next? Well, everyone here wants to do something again next year, and that includes the Airport Company. The committee have agreed to carry on, but my suggestion that one of them become the chairman was voted out and I was voted back in, by 3 to 1. I wonder why? So, what shall we do? Another plane pull? Another stretcher carry? Abseiling? Running? I don’t know, but I’m willing to listen to ideas, just let me know.

Thanks for now,

Rob, Warren, Lee and Mandy
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