Page 33 - QDG 2023

1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards 31
Welfare Office
2023 has kept the welfare team on their toes. This saw another change of UWO (3 in 3 years!) with Capt John Davies moving to the RCMO role and Capt Christian Eade coming in as the new UWO. With most of the unit deployed in Texas this gave them time to HOTO.
Over the easter period a fun workshop for the families was held in the Den by our Community Support Development worker, Miss Sarah Coote, including making Easter bonnets followed by an Easter egg hunt around Robertson Barracks. Then we were in full swing for summer leave and activities for the families, thanks to a grant from the Armed Forces Covenant Trust (Norfolk) we were able to support Norwich City Football Club Community Support team delivering 2 days of training (unfortunately due to some miser- able weather this was all in the gymnasium). We then had 4 days of theatre skills workshop, with some superb dance routine at the end performed by all those who had taken part.
Attention quickly turned to the deployment of A Sqn to Poland and ensuring that they were set up for a successful deployment. Sgt Young organised for the BFBS cinema truck to visit Robertson Barracks with 2 of the latest movies to be released being shown. Mrs Jo Kierstead also very kindly offered to help organise and run a Halloween event.
The Welfare team were then heavily involved in the visit of our new Colonel-in-Chief, HRH the Princess of Wales. This gave an opportu- nity for a number of families to meet and greet HRH sharing their experiences of what life is like with the 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards. HRH seemed very impressed with those she had met.
With the blink of an eye, we were looking towards Christmas, with the Christmas Panto a big hit again with the families as well as some of the local children and families from Swanton Morley who we invited to attend. Cpl Bernard was in full Christmas party mode setting up the children’s Christmas party in the Sabre Club, including 2 real Christmas Trees kindly donated from the front of the Officers Mess. Miss Coote once again provided some great entertainment for all involved and I would like to take this time to thank the chefs for providing plenty of refreshments for all.
Unfortunately, the Café at the Dragons Den had to close this year, however the soft play area remains available for families. Noah’s Ark Pre-School continues to provide superb early years care from all the team there.
We look forwards to 2024 and organising plenty more activities both at Robertson
Barracks but also around the local area.
A least I’m not carrying a radio
This sucks
bog, covered in steep hills, plastered in midges, a near perfect training environment for our budding tank slayers. Don’t let those zombified faces on return of the exercise fool you, they had a great time. That’s not all the Training Wing does though, we LOVE chasing regimental ITRS, so if you’re reading this don’t forget about the Iron 8 and complete those pesky ITRS in good time for Christmas leave.
It’s not all BAMS bookings and ITRs here at the Training Wing. Over Christmas, we had our very own TO/TWWO/RGSS SSgt Williams take part in Ex WHITE KNIGHT, where he was part of the team that came first in the Alpine RAC Championships - a great achievement! He also returned to his laptop after that exercise to find he had over 200 emails, lucky him.
It’s a good life in the Training Wing. We get the opportunity to balance running G4 and G7 tasks whilst also getting cam cream on and training and mentoring our future commanders to a high standard. The job is rewarding, and team works hard. As a wing we are looking forward to what the next year brings.
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