Page 66 - MERCIAN Eagle 2018

Welfare second-in-command Welfare Junior NCO
Welfare Pte
CSgt Leighton Shirton Cpl Jason Earnshaw Pte Max Foden
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Unit Welfare Office – Welfare Officer, Capt Nigel Garcia
I write this article as the new Unit Welfare Officer, having taken over the role from Captain Tony Mason who moved to pastures new as the Motor Transport Officer. I arrived in Cyprus with my family at the end of July, just as the majority of the Battalion had arrived in Cyprus. Having now been in the role for several months,
it is apparent how much hard work was put into getting the families moved two thousand miles in one piece to a new country. This hard work was months in the making, dealing with numerous outside agencies which can test the patience of the best of us, but Capt Tony Mason and the extended Welfare team have done a fantastic job in pulling all of this together and they deserve our sincere gratitude for their commitment and dedication to their duty in making this move happen. This Unit move was made all the more challenging when D Company and elements of A, B and HQ Coys deployed for three months on Op TORAL. For this, I would like to pay tribute to our spouses and partners both
in Cyprus and the UK for the resilience and support they have shown their men whilst deployed. Without this they cannot operate effectively and safely, and our country owes you a debt of gratitude for the support you have shown. I would also like to take this opportunity to make a special mention to
CSgt Shirton delivers the arrival brief to the families in the cookhouse at Salamanca Barracks, Cyprus
those wives who set up their homes here in Cyprus whilst their husbands were deployed on Op TORAL, it does
to provide the weekly shopping trip to the local supermarkets and the spouses’ coffee mornings on the second and fourth Thursday
of every month. The Welfare facility has also played host to a
not cease to amaze
me the challenges that they have overcome the last three months; you should all be proud.
The Welfare Team has worked tirelessly in hosting events for the families.
The welfare team
also welcomes new
members. Cpl Jason
Earnshaw (1 LANCS) remains in Cyprus with 2 MERCIAN as continuity for a further two years. His welfare knowledge and his wider sense of how stuff gets done ‘the Cyprus way’ has been invaluable; he has certainly kept me on the straight and narrow in the first couple of months – he fits the welfare job perfectly. Pte Max Foden comes to us from C Coy and he is adding value on a daily basis and he brings balance to the team. CSgt Leighton Shirton remains as the welfare second-in-command and is the unsung
hero of the Unit move; his ability to make things happen, build long and meaningful relationships with the wider British Forces Cyprus (BFC) staff and community has led
to the Battalions transition into Episkopi that much easier.
The Welfare Team has worked tirelessly in hosting events for the families. We continue
LCpl Hird in the Cpls’ Mess
Breast Cancer charity event organised by Mrs Michelle Ring and other wives from
the Battalion. The event raised 370 Euro, which is a tidy sum for this great cause. The Welfare team has also hosted and run the children’s Halloween Party for both the wider Episkopi community and 2 MERCIAN families. We have also run trips to the local beaches and waterpark.
As I look out toward the next six to twelve months, we have a busy events calendar scheduled with the obligatory Bonfire
night and children’s Christmas parties
and pantomimes planned and by the time this article goes to print, the Officers and Soldiers of those who deployed on Op TORAL will be back in Cyprus, this should bring some welcomed normality and routine to those families of those who deployed.
The families of 2 MERCIAN await their flight in RAF Brize Norton
2 MERCIAN Cpls’ Mess
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