#salisburysalutes - We’re supporting Armed Forces Day 2019!

#salisburysalutes

Wilsons have a long history of working with Armed Forces Charities. As a result we are extemely proud to support National Armed Forces Day 2019 - and even prouder that this year it is hosted by our home town of Salisbury! 

National Armed Forces Day is a unique opportunity to recognise and celebrate our armed forces and their critical role in protecting our country and keeping us safe. With 250,000 visitors expected over three days, it is going to be an incredible weekend.

This year's event is held in Salisbury - and following the events in 2018, an extraordinary year for the residents and businesses of the city - specialist military teams, emergency services and the other organisations who managed the incident and clean-up will be recognised. They all helped Salisbury and Amesbury get back to normal. 

The Armed Forces and their families comprise a significant proportion of Wiltshire's population, with an additional 4,000 service personnel and their families relocating to Salisbury Plain from Germany by 2020. National Armed Forces Day is an opportunity to welcome the troops and their families to Salisbury and their new community. 

As a firm we represent hundreds of Armed Forces charities, and every year provide free training and seminars to the sector, particularly in the areas of trustee and board governance. Our Armed Forces Seminar, which was this year hosted on HMS Belfast, is a hugely popular event for the sector and provides valuable insight into the issues Armed Forces charities should be considering. 

 

Firstly, a huge thanks to Aidan (age 8) and his family for being the face of #salisburysalutes. Aidan is the son of Sergeant Russell Lehman in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, and his mum also happens to work at Wilsons. Thanks Aidan, you're a star - and a brilliant saluter!

We've been asking colleagues, clients and members of the community to let us know why they support our Armed Forces - so #salisburysalutes will do the rest of the talking...

Fiona Campbell-White, Wilsons "To the men, women and animals who serve - thank you."	Ben Pitman, Wilsons	Andrew Mackie, Wilsons "Our servicemen and women put themselves at risk in order to keep us safe.  Recognising their contribution on Armed Forces Day is the least we can do."

Caroline Cooke, Forces in Mind Trust “The Armed Forces means inspiration, protection, tradition and history.”	Giles Harris, Courier	Jeremy Archer, The Not Forgotten Association

Jo Barlow, Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) “Our Armed Forces help keep our country safe, look after us all and do lots with the community.”	Karl Craig, Stoll "Armed Forces Day is a great way to show my appreciation for the sacrifices that serving men, women and their families make for us. Thank you, I salute you!'	Matthew Radnell, RAF Honington “The Armed Forces is my life so far.”

Minette Wright and Shakella Bagus, Greenwich Hospital “The Armed Forces is very important because that’s the community we support, it’s a community that is very well put together and we’re very close knit as well.”	Neil Wood and Stephen Small, Hospital of Sir John Hawkins	Nick Hemming, The Blues and Royals Association

Serena Cecchinato, Give Us Time “What does the Armed Forces mean to me? Sacrifice and commitment.”	Stephen Oxley, Wilsons and Mark Hatt-Cook	Tina Rawlings, Wilsons

Warren Maxwell, StewartsLaw  "The Armed Forces mean comradeship, making a man of you and carrying that through. It’s something that doesn’t go when you leave, that stays for life.”	Colonel Dave Craft, Royal Signals Benevolent Fund	Colonel Jason Williams, Royal Tank Regiment

Justin Kingsford, Trustee, The King's Royal Hussars	Mike Bowra, Bowra Foundation	Mike Sykes, Trustee, Army Dependents Trust

Nick Cowey MBE, Royal Tank Regiment	Alistair Lockhart, Wilsons	Camilla Graham, Trustee, Sherborne Arts Trust

John Durrell, The Institute of Physics Benevolent Fund	Neil Osborne, Bowra Foundation	Peter Dawes, Trust Director, Wessex Medical Trust

Jen Lehman, WIlsons	Kate Penn, Wilsons	Holly Britten, Wilsons

A few of the Wilsons' team showing their support for the Armed Forces

Trustees of the RMA - The Royal Marines Charity

Richard Sharp, Chief Executive of Team Rubicon UK, based in Chilmark, near Salisbury. A disaster response charity with a difference - Team Rubicon’s chiefly ex-military volunteers earned their spurs in hostile, character-testing environments. Today, they deliver life-saving aid, at home or abroad.