Page 356 - They Also Served

Factor contestants, went straight to number one in the pop charts and outsold the next ten singles in its first week. The charity, with its celebrity backers, high media profile and overt support from the armed forces, in an unintended consequence, drew other major service charities, such as the Royal British Legion, into rebranding and modernising.
Help for Heroes did attract some criticism, for initially only supporting those injured in current conflicts but gradually expanded its remit, with its oldest beneficiary a 96-year-old. Nevertheless, in 2010, the Parrys were awarded a rare double OBE for their work with the charity – by 2023, Help for Heroes had raised over 260 million pounds and assisted 27,000 beneficiaries. In 2016, Bryn Parry stepped down as CEO of the charity and, in 2022, was diagnosed with cancer. He was awarded the CBE in the 2023 New Year’s Honours List and died on 12th April 2023.
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