Page 5 - BNVTA News November 2020

We have been working daily on sending forms to veterans who have requested them, and helping with queries concerning submissions.
If you haven’t applied yet, please contact info@bntva.com, phone 0208 144 3080, or write to
BNTVA, The Smithy, Defynnog, Brecon LD3 8SB for more information.
It is continuing to be a busy time in connecting with our members, and in finding veterans who may not yet have heard of the BNTVA. We are regularly approached by British nuclear test veterans expressing their interest in joining the Association for the first time, which is very encouraging. As part of BNTVA Covid-19 grant funding, we have placed an advertisement to find British nuclear test veterans in the Remembrance editions of the Royal British Legion magazine, ‘Legionnaire’, and in the Big Issue’s Captain Tom Moore November edition. We will be placing more adverts over the coming weeks in military magazines and newspapers.
On a happy note, we are thrilled that Shelly Taunt, David Taunt’s daughter, a professional rally driver, has proudly chosen to support the BNTVA with her brand new rally car and service vehicle. Our crest takes pride of place on both vehicles, and we are grateful too that ASF Signs have contributed the sign-writing as a donation to the BNTVA. We
will feature Shelly, her co-driver Julie Murphy, and the rally car in the next issue of the Campaign magazine.
We are also delighted in gaining new volunteer appointed persons, and welcome the skills and experience of Helen Lax, our Safeguarding
Officer, and John Ward, our PR Officer. We welcome a decision made last week to exempt British nuclear test veterans from the Overseas Operations Bill, outlined in this edition, and I am pleased to have been invited to join the Advisory Board of the Brunel Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents (CHRC), to bring the viewpoint of BNTVA members, discuss ongoing research and research possibilities. I hope to report back from my first meeting at the end of October in the next Campaign magazine. Thank you to the veterans who have shared stories, photographs and documents with the BNTVA since the Summer Campaign. We have a growing amount of narratives, and, again, through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust grant funding, will receive bespoke digital equipment
to work towards collating data and starting to establish a virtual museum. Squeaky Pedal, who have made the Battle of Britain 80th Anniversary films for the Imperial War Museum will be interviewing veterans from all major test locations, and blending photographs, animation and narratives to produce films which meet our preservation of heritage and education constitutional object. These will be available on the BNTVA website, and for use in schools to further knowledge of the British nuclear tests in the community.
On speaking to our Patron, Sir John Hayes MP, recently, he is very confident about the Medal Campaign that we are actively supporting, and he is heralding. Sir John is optimistic that the Advisory Military Sub- Committee will soon meet. We will let members know as soon as we hear anything about this issue, and
understand the frustration of continued waiting concerning any outcome.
Laura Cooke, journalist and granddaughter of a nuclear test veteran from Operation Hurricane, recently interviewed a number of veterans to highlight the plight still experienced concerning recognition and hope of a medal for experience and effects of the nuclear tests. Her article, published on October 23rd, entitled ‘Nearly 70 years on, why is
Britain still refusing to truly recognise its nuclear test veterans?’ is available to read on www.metro.co.uk/2020/10/23/ britain-still-refusing-to-recognise- its-nuclear-test-veterans- 13409365/
We’d like to thank Laura for her eagerness to work with us to bring issues important to the British nuclear test veterans to the general public.
Finally, if you are a veteran and have wi-fi access, please contact if you think you would benefit from an Amazon 8 Fire tablet to improve communication with shopping, friends and family. We have 20 tablets to give away under Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust Covid-19 funding; just let us know as soon as possible.
Ceri McDade
UniDip (Theol.) PGCert (M.H.Psych) PGDip. (Soc.Res.)
BNTVA Chair
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CAMPAIGN AUTUMN 2020