20 NAVY NEWS, MAY 2010
NAVAL veteran Allen Parton is one of the driving forces behind new charity Hounds
for Heroes.
The new charity aims to place trained assistance
emergency services. Allen and his labrador Endal
have appeared in documentaries and their own book – Allen said: “I was always amazed at the public interest in Endal and my story, but I couldn’t accept that we were unique and why this sort of thing was not the norm – that just couldn’t be right? “Service dog Endal came
into my life and became the best physical and psychological rehabilitation I could have ever received.
“He transformed not only my
life but that of my family too. The benefits extended far past just meeting my own needs.” He added: “EJ – Endal Junior – has continued to give me the same quality of life and independence that I experienced with Endal and every day our partnership grows stronger, together there are truly no limits to what we can achieve. “I just wanted others to
experience the same.” And from this wish Allen discovered an entire network
Hounds at heart
of people who wanted to make Hounds for Heroes a reality. The charity is drawing on the
dogs with
injured and disabled personnel from the
Armed Forces or
experience of other assistance dogs organisations in the UK and overseas.
Hounds for Heroes is aiming to raise £100,000 to buy, train and support five dogs. The first puppy is already named Juno after the D-Day landings and the intention is to keep the Services theme running for all the dogs. Allen said: “I was the face of
the Royal British Legion poppy appeal, which highlighted that there are over 900,000 injured Service men and women in the country today. “Yet only a handful have chosen
to have a life-enhancing assistance dog. Many perceive assistance dogs as a badge of disability or weakness.
“Hounds for Heroes intends to break this negative image and promote the dogs as badges of ability and honour. “It is very difficult to explain to those that have never experienced it, but within the Services there is a very special camaraderie built of trust, loyalty and teamwork.” The dog’s jacket will bear the
Service emblem of the client’s regiment, ship or squadron. If you would like to support these efforts visit www.
houndsforheroes.com.
l Naval veteran Allen Parton and his assistance dog EJ are flanked by Hounds for Heroes trustee Clare Robinson and charity secretary Clare Frosbury of the RAF
Strictly successful
THE QUARTERDECK of Britannia Royal Naval College was transformed into a ballroom when 22 members of staff put on their dancing shoes to take part in
Strictly Come Dancing.
To a variety of music played by the college’s Volunteer Band, under the direction of Phil Watson, the dancers started the evening off with a group Viennese Waltz before venturing on to the floor with their individual show dances.
Bring back the ’80s
THE University Royal Naval Units sports weekend in Portsmouth involved a range of sporting challenges, plus the unusual Inter URNU’s ’80s biathlon – featuring the snakebite challenge and Wham! dance-off. And of course, the rig was top-to-toe ’80s... Contestants were bolstered with Dutch courage by the snakebite (a potent brew of lager and cider, sometimes enlivened with a dash of blackcurrant), then took to the floor to show their disco credentials to the URNU’s own Simon Cowell, Cdr David Wilson Commander URNU. Liverpool URNU came out triumphant; although not as triumphant
as charity Afghan Heroes which benefitted to the tune of £500 from the betting and donations on the night. Organiser Surg S/Lt Lizzie Walters of Sussex URNU said: “The generous giving, and betting as well as charity wristbands sold at the event, meant that a great total of £500 was raised for the charity Afghan Heroes, whose aim is to support troops on the frontline in Afghanistan and their families back home. “A big BZ to everyone who took part and donated extra money, and for their fantastic costumes, we had ABBA, Ghostbusters, Cool Runnings, Baywatch, as well as many dudes and chicks, and a CO as Bananaman. “Fantastic effort. Congratulations to all URNUs – see you next
year.” To find out more about the charity, visit www.afghanheroes.org.uk.
The Polar express
A FORMER Royal Marine Chris Foot and research scientist Dr Leanne Franklin-Smith have set out on the 2010 Polar Challenge, racing to the North Pole as Navy News goes to press. The green beret has been helping the scientist get ready for their adventures in the frozen north, and this included a stint in Norway earlier this year to be put through a fast-track introduction to cold weather survival training and to see the real thing in action.
Leanne said: “I can tell you
that after a five-day exped where we skied for seven to ten hours per day and slept in temperatures down to -30˚C, the thought of getting clean was uppermost in all our minds, but the dip in an icy lake was definitely not my idea of the perfect ending!
“It’s incredibly difficult to
control your panic reflex, and it took me quite a few seconds to gather my thoughts after I hit the water, but eventually I was out, rolling in the snow and heading for my tent where the stove and dry clothes were. “My hat goes off to the Royal
Marine guys though – they went in fully clothed, with their skis on properly and still attached to their pulks to mimic a real-life situation for us, and even had to sing a song before they were allowed out. “I had an amazing time in
Norway, and it definitely boosted my confidence about the race itself.”
Leanne is fundraising for Help for Heroes, and hopes to raise over £10,000.
She can be sponsored online at
www.justgiving.com/bearbabe.
The dancers represented all elements of staff at the college, with VT Flagship, Sodexo and Plymouth University lecturers all joining the naval contingent. Names were drawn out of
a hat earlier this year and the couples then received some basic dance lessons and advice from Brigitte Tardy, of Dittisham. They chose which dance they wanted to concentrate on, and then choreographed a three-minute routine.
Competitor and event organiser Lt Serena Davis said: “Fitting practices into our hectic weekly programmes was a major issue for all involved and nerves were
certainly running high as the evening approached, but we knew it would be fun and raise money for charity.”
On the night the audience were delighted by jives with lifts, turns and somersaults to amaze, elegant waltzes,
leg-revealing tangos,
incredibly swift quicksteps and a vibrant paso doble and cha cha cha. In line with the television show,
there were judges to comment on and mark the couples, but the audience had the final say. The runaway winners were the
padre, the Rev Nigel Beardsley and Leading PTI Andrea Marshall (pictured above), who delighted everyone with a fantastic quickstep to the song of Mac the Knife. More than £1,600 was raised for charity.
Rob’s in the pink
STANDING out in a sea of white shirts, keen cyclist Rob Smith will be doing his bit to raise awareness of breast cancer by taking to the saddle in a bright pink top. Petty officer Rob, 38, a Royal
Navy reservist from Saltash, is a member of the Royal Navy and Royal Marine Cycling Association and has been cycling seriously for five years. This year he is scheduled to take part in a number of mountain-bike races, and will ride out wearing his specially- made pink racing top, instead of the normal RNRMCA white. Rob was inspired to wear the
jersey after his wife, Jane, 42, and a colleague from HMS Raleigh, PO Laura Washer, 31, were both diagnosed with breast cancer
(pictured together right).
Rob said: “Most people have
their favourite charity so rather than pass round a sponsor form I thought I would do something to raise awareness of breast cancer and how important it is that everyone checks themselves regularly.” Rob’s pink top had its first outing in March when he came 49th out of 75 in the Masters at the opening round of the National Series in Sherwood Forest.
Midnight sun for CHF fun
THIS year’s Clockwork deployment by the Commando Helicopter Force brought about some impressive fundraising for a Norwegian charity. CPO Barrie Whitehead and C/Sgt Mick Acott organised a games night, a quiz night and a charity raffle, raising 10,000 Norwegian Kroner (about £1,000) for the Troms and Finnmark region Stotteforeningen for Kreftsyke Barn (SKB) association. The SKB is run by volunteers and supports families with children with cancer. Barrie and Mick were joined by LAET Nick James
they presented the money to the assocation in Tromsø. They also spent the day with
when
the families, Barrie took on the older children at ten-pin bowling, while Mick and Nick got to enjoy the soft-fun delights of a children’s playcentre. Barrie said: “This is just the
start for Mick and me, as this summer we are going to cycle unsupported from our base at Bardufoss to RNAS Yeovilton – a distance of 1,400 miles. “The event is called the Midnight Sun Cycle commencing June 23 to July 12.” Barrie and Mick will cycle from Bardufoss to Oslo via the Lofoten Islands, then travel down the popular western coastal route called the RV17, and the fjords in the south including the notorious climb up Trollstigen before finally arriving in Oslo. They will depart Norway by air and then be joined in London at PJHQ in Northwood by other personnel from RNAS Yeovilton to complete the final day’s ride of 130 miles back to Somerset. If you want to support them please visit uk.virginmoneygiving.
com/midnightsuncyle.
From the jungle to the desert
LWEA John ‘Wiggy’ Bennett
of HMS Illustrious is plunging into another endurance event – the veteran of the 2007 Jungle Marathon is in training to take on Racing the Planet – Australia 2010.
This is a 250km footrace across the Australian Outback, taking place as Navy News went to press. John is raising money for two local special needs schools: the Macintyre School in Wingrave and the Sandon School in Grantham. He said: “The opportunity to raise money for a sensory garden and a means for pupils, who otherwise wouldn’t be able to, to also take part in adventurous activities is fantastic. “I chose Macintyre School because it is one of the charities that my ship supports, as one of the crew has a step-son there, and Sandon School, where my mum works, is a special needs school in my home town. “I really cherish the freedom
I have to just go out for a run anywhere; a lot of people just take their own abilities – walking, seeing, hearing etc – for granted so supporting these charities to enable kids to have a greater experience out of life is just brilliant.”
He added: “I’ve always wanted to go to the outback of Australia ever since watching Crocodile Dundee as a kid. “I can’t wait to see the landscape, all the flora and fauna. In the Amazon I came face to face with a jaguar, swam with piranha, and saw many other amazing plants and animals.
“This time hopefully it’s be kangaroos, emus and crocodiles.” Wiggy hopes to raise over £4,000, and can be supported through:
www.virginmoneygiving.com/ crocodilewiggy31.
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