Page 66 - QDG Year of 2020

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1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
Regimental Comrades Association
President: Colonel of the Regiment, Brigadier AS Richmond OBE Chairman: Mr C T Gibbons
Regimental Home Headquarters
Regimental Secretary: Mark Hawtin Assistant Regimental Secretary: Kate Cox Subscriptions/General Enquiries: Catherine Symons Shop/Lottery/General Enquiries: Sophie Poeton Regimental Curator: Mark Evans Regimental Assistant Curator: Hannah Searle
What a year! Due to the pandemic Home Headquarters has found itself experiencing multiple lockdowns, with the team spending the majority of 2020 working from home alongside home schooling. We are endeavouring to keep the home fires burning, the office has been and will continue to be
contact HHQ before mid-October, enabling us to order the correct amount and post them out to you in time.
One of the beneficial side effects of the lockdowns has been the need for many of us to embrace online video conferencing and meetings, whilst it doesn’t compare
manned Monday to Friday, please be patient if we don’t answer your phone call or email straight away, we
will get back to you! Sadly, but rightly, all of our association events have had to be cancelled this year. I would like to thank those who organ- ised and assisted with these events, keeping their fingers crossed until the last possible moment. A special mention to Chris Gibbons, Dave Maltby, Martin Orde, Mark Evans, Dave Way, Martin Ruscoe and Mark Ashley-Miller, who held out, but all had to cancel at the last minute. Hopefully the second half of 2021 will see some semblance
A big thank you to Bob Edwards,
who asked everyone to make an online donation instead of buying him a beer on his 70th birthday, he raised an amazing £700 for the fund
to socialising physically it has enabled us all to keep in touch and look after each other. I would like to thank all those comrades who have contacted HHQ, signposting a comrade or their imme- diate family member who has been struggling during these difficult times and enabling the Regimental family to give assistance. It has also enabled us to carry out our RCA Committee and Regi- mental and Heritage Trust meetings ensuring that the many projects, from branch flags to regimental history books were able to continue.
I would once again like to thank all those of you who donate to the Regimental Benevolence Fund, either via the 1 Days’ Pay Scheme or through our Virgin Money Giving page on the RCA website. A big thank you
Sully laying our wreath at Cardiff City Stadium
of normality returning and we will all be
able to gather at Cardiff in the Autumn to celebrate in style, wearing our new regimental woolly pullies and polo shirts. This year also saw all Remembrance Parades cancelled, however, many of our comrades were still able to place Regimental Wreaths at their local Ceno- taphs. Stephen ‘Sully’ Sullivan wins the prize for laying in the most unusual location, placing his on the turf of Cardiff City Stadium and Richard ‘Benny’ Hill up in Cumbria for best salute. If you would like to request a Regimental Wreath for next year’s Remembrance Day, please
to Bob Edwards, who asked everyone to make an online donation instead of buying him a beer on his 70th birthday, he raised an amazing £700 for the fund. So far, this financial year we have dealt with 16 general benevolence grants, we have also awarded quarterly, annual, fuel and Christmas grants and distributed Christmas Hampers to members of our Regimental family.
The total value of grants awarded by the Regimental Benevolence Fund in 2020 has been £9,824.72. We have also once again received great support from the ABF, RBL, H4H and SSAFA.