Page 9 - QARANC Vol 20 No 1 2022

The Gazette QARANC Association 9
Hybrid Branch’s successful first year
Since the formation of the Department of Healthcare Education (DHE) Hybrid Branch in 2020, members have been working extremely hard to encourage participation with our peers, whilst continuing to study for our nursing degree.
After establishing our committee and assigning roles, we created a virtual collaborative working space where we could all communicate and share ideas. Our membership rep, Cpl Laud Afam-Adjei, collated all names and details of every QARANC trainee and added them to the site, one by one!
Funded by individual donations and a grant from the Association, DHE Hybrid
DHE members with members of the wider Association at the Leeds Reunion Lunch
Branch held a cheese and wine launch event on 23 November 2021 at Ash House, Hamstead campus, which gave members the opportunity to meet new friends from various cohorts and fields.
Col Carol Kefford, Colonel Commandant, provided a video message stating the importance of trainee participation with the Association and the remainder of the evening was spent sampling various cheeses and tasting some beautiful wines (and some not-so-beautiful).
In the absence of the Corps RSM, Cpl Danny Shilling (chair and trainee) planned and delivered the presentation. It was great to have General Secretary Sue McAteer and Liz Keenan Trustee and Treasurer Midlands Branch, there to provide an insight into the Association from an RHQ and Branch perspective.
With 100% of attendees signing up to become members, the presentation was a huge success.
Being situated in the Midlands has allowed us to form a bond with the Midlands Branch. Our committee members have attended their events
DHE Member making up Christmas presents for deployed QA personnel on behalf of QARANC Association
and we are keen to establish relations with other branches, and potentially attend some of their events too.
In December, DHE Hybrid Branch also made up and wrapped Christmas parcels for the deployed QA personnel on behalf of the Association.
This year, we are keen to maintain the momentum and have a few fundraising and social events in the pipeline, so stay tuned!
At no point were any sprouts thrown (honest)
It has been a difficult period for all joint hospital groups over the last two years, and the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) is no exception.
Not only dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, but fragmented departmental interactions, caused by isolation and social distancing has increased the already significant pressures.
As working pressures and preventive measures started to ease with the success of the vaccine program, it became evident that Christmas would not be cancelled for a second year. Authority was therefore granted to host the customary Junior Ranks Christmas lunch at Glenart Castle Mess on 13 December 2021, funded by a grant from the Association.
Keeping with tradition, the meal was served by officers, warrant officers and senior ranks. Deliberately reducing the amount of volunteer waiters due to Covid restrictions meant they would have their work cut out not only to serve good food but most importantly – to keep glasses topped up with
Christmas cheer!
The event was a great opportunity
for departments to get together and interact. It was our most significant social event since the start of the pandemic.
Everyone arrived for the reception drinks adorned in their
best in Christmas show
piece, vying to be crowned
‘best dressed’ and receive the prestigious prize of the Amazon voucher. The real prize, was of course, the kudos; this went to Pte Grace Goodwell who was in the guise of the largest best wrapped Christmas present you have ever seen.
Colonel Steel, our commanding officer addressed the unit and delivered his awards to the junior ranks. Christmas dinner with all the trimmings was then served, which due to staff shortages was somehow
delivered single handedly by one very hard-working chef; a special thank you goes out to Mark Kelly from ESS.
I would like to say that at no point were any sprouts thrown between departments but of course it would not have been a traditional Junior Ranks
Christmas dinner if that was true!
Once the meal was complete, tensions increased as the most anxious game of pass the parcel you have ever played commenced.
Each unwrap of the paper included a forfeit, a particular high point was an individual having to wear a Santa Klopp (Liverpool FC manager) mask for the rest of the day; probably the best Christmas present you could give to a Manchester United supporter!
Pte Goodwell who won best dressed at the RCDM Christmas lunch