Page 154 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

Charity
The company, under the auspices of 2Lt Luke many members of the platoon, in bene t of a
£1500 WAS RAISED OVER THE COURSE OF THE DAY, WITH 337 MILES BEING COVERED IN 6 HOURS
Mazzoni (D Platoon), carried out a static cycle charity event for the Army Benevolent Fund in Durham Market Square to raise awareness of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. As 300 soldiers of the Durham Light Infantry became casualties on the rst day of the battle, the aim was to ride 300 miles on three static cycles. The public’s response was extremely generous and £1500 was raised over the course of the day, with 337 miles being covered in 6 hours.
B and D Platoons carried out a charity bucket event around Durham city centre and managed to collect £2500 for The Royal Hospital Chelsea. A week later, the company was taken around the site by some of the pensioners who gratefully received the cheque on behalf of The Royal Hospital. The Ri emen were very impressed by the location, its history, and what it provides today, but were possibly most impressed by the many anecdotes freely provided by the Pensioners.
Sjt Walcott (Y Platoon) competed in a charity boxing match in West Bromwich, supported by
number of Armed Forces charities. Unfortunately, he lost by a very narrow decision, but was consoled by the fact that he lost to his own son, so he can take a lot of pride in the fact that he trained him so well.
Over the past year, the company has been supporting a charity, Single Homeless: Action Initi- ative Durham (SHAID), who we met via Durham Armed Forces Forum. The charity runs a site, St. Peter’s Court, in Sacriston that provides supported housing exclusively for ex-Service personnel. With help from the Royal British Legion and other charities, they have been able to purchase an adjoining site to further extend the service they provide and the company have been helping them gut it in preparation for its commissioning. It has also provided our Ri emen with the opportunity to meet ex-Service personnel who have fallen on hard times so that they can be educated on how various forms of mental health issues can affect the Forces community, what signs to look out for, and how to get help for themselves and others.
Look Forward
In the near future, D (Ri es) Company looks forward to hosting the High Sheriffs of County Durham and Tyne & Wear before holding Durham Armed Forces Forum at Gilesgate Armoury. Our Annual Training Package at Thetford will follow soon after, where our Ri emen will take part in Basic Radio User, Mortar, General Purpose Machine Gun, General Service Landrover, and Team Medic cadres before deploying on a Field Training Exercise and an Adventure Training package. Mortar Platoon is, of course, leading on the Mortar Cadre.
The company will be re-subordinated to 8 RIFLES on 1 Nov 17.
152 D (RIFLES) COMPANY
THE RIFLES
D (Ri es) Company at St. Peter’s Court
Rfn Robinson, LCpl Stoddart, and CSjt Richardson ‘spin’ for the Somme