L Teare

Motorbike conservation gets veterans on the road to recovery

A new health and wellbeing project for ex-servicemen and women at Birmingham Museums has helped four local veterans get back on the road to recovery by conserving vintage motorbikes from the city’s collection. Volunteering for Veterans was set up by Birmingham Museums in 2021 to support former members of the local Armed Forces community by providing skills development opportunities alongside social and wellbeing…

Soldier brings Christmas cheer to Romanian orphanages

A Shropshire-based soldier and his wife are putting smiles on the faces of orphaned children and adults in Romania, bringing Christmas gifts, clothing and medicines from the UK. Warrant Officer 2 David Hill lives in Down Hatherley near Innsworth in Gloucestershire with his wife Sarah. Apart from last year, due to Covid-19 restrictions, David and Sarah have travelled to Romania to visit orphanages…

Cadet Expansion Programme continues to thrive

The number of cadets and volunteers currently involved with the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and school units in the West Midlands and surrounding counties has successfully increased by over a third. Since the inception of the Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP) in 2012, an extra 2262 cadets and 137 new Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs) are now located in over 42 units. This includes…

British Army unveils ‘Future Soldier’

The British Army has unveiled ‘Future Soldier’, its most radical transformation programme in over 20 years. Following on from the Integrated Review and the significant increase in defence spending announced by the Government last year, Future Soldier demonstrates how the Army is modernising to address next-generation threats across the globe. This will be bolstered by an additional investment of £8.6 billion in Army…

School gives thanks to those who serve

A Birmingham-based school is one of the latest education providers to formally pledge its support to the wider forces community. King Solomon International Business School in Aston teaches children from foundation year through to sixth form.  Offering a wide and vibrant curriculum, the school’s key visions and values are to promote diversity, peace, kindness and mutual respect – based on the virtues associated…

Black Country and West Birmingham NHS pledges support to Armed Forces community

On Monday 8th November we welcomed seven NHS organisations from the Black Country and West Birmingham Integrated Care System (ICS) to sign the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) at a virtual signing. This is the first ICS to sign up to the Covenant within the West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association’s (RFCA) region. The Black Country and West Birmingham ICS comprises 15 local…

Employers recognised for long-term support to Armed Forces

Two organisations from the West Midlands have achieved the highest honour available for companies who support Defence – for the second time. Bureau Veritas UK and Pertemps Limited have both previously been awarded a Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold in 2017 for their outstanding support towards the Armed Forces community. In the five years since they were originally awarded the accolades, their continued…

Shropshire businesses sign up to support forces

Over 70 members from Shropshire’s business and voluntary sectors came together for a breakfast event to share best practice and learn more about supporting the Armed Forces community. Held at Bligny House Army Reserve Centre in Shrewsbury, home of E Company 8 Rifles, the early morning Shropshire Business Breakfast networking event was a joint partnership between our Association, Shropshire Council and Telford &…

Reservist awarded at Dudley’s Kindness Awards

Members of the Dudley community have been recognised for stepping up to make a difference to the lives of others in their local area. Dudley Council for Voluntary Service (Dudley CVS) recently hosted its AGM and Kindness Awards 2021 at the Brierley Hill Civic.  This year’s awards theme celebrated the abundance of kindness in Dudley’s communities, highlighting the achievements of individuals and volunteer…

Army Cadets welcome the return of annual camps

Following on from the Government’s Covid-19 guidance and the National Youth Organisation’s roadmap for the Cadet Forces to return to face-to-face training, summer 2021 welcomed the long-awaited return of the annual camps. As a highlight in the cadet calendar, the annual camps provide the opportunity for the cadets in their respective areas to spend a week away from home with their peers and…