Page 14 - QARANC Vol 19 No 1 2021

12 The Gazette QARANC Association
gift which included chocolate. Given that chocolate and I have a special relationship spanning well over 60 years it was a very welcome gesture. I was pleased to present to the Jurassic Coast Branch and attend their virtual ‘Murder at the QATC’ murder mystery dinner which was a great fun and a huge success. I actually got to wear said Mess Kit for the first time albeit at my own dinner table. This was a great example of ingenuity and invention. For me it was also another way to connect. Zoom has been such a key tool for so many.
Another way of connecting of course was in the form of the absolute pleasure to be found in writing to recipients of honours and awards, citations and other commendations. You have kept me busy and it is so good to see so many being recognised for your tireless commitment. I take pride in every letter I write although recipients may not think much of my hand writing of course! We as a Corps should also take pride in the fact that we are seeing
...and relax! Completion of the Col on a Cross trainer 10k a day for 10 days
record numbers of our fantastic people being recognised. This is no accident. It is the right and proper recognition of the contribution of individuals within a Corps of professionals. That is the case whether you are regular, reserve or retired.
I thought the RRC, ARRC commemoration wall on the website was a fantastic innovation in the WHO Year of the Nurse and Midwife. A real celebration and some inspiring back stories. Congratulations to the tireless efforts of the team behind the scenes.
So in conclusion. Thank you. Thank you for all that you have done, continue to do and I know will do. You do us all proud every day. Looking after yourselves and each other is as important now as any operational tour. In fact this current situation is as comparable to any enduring military operation in recent times. It clearly takes resilience that sometimes has limits. Please note the RHQ, Colonels Commandant and Association Branches are there for you over and above our exceptional regular and reserve leadership. Do not hesitate to ask because no one is an island.
Colonel Kevin Davies Colonel Commandant
Marie Semple
It takes a very special person to come out of retirement and take up a role that could potentially cost them their life, and yet, mother of three, Marie Semple, at the age of 62 and married to Ian, did exactly that as she joined her former colleagues on the frontline in the fight against COVID-19.
Having spent her entire working life as a nurse, she didn’t hesitate when the call went out asking for retired health professionals to assist with the official COVID-19 response.
So, just one year after beginning her retirement, Marie found herself helping
to care for some of the most vulnerable members of society during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘It wasn’t a difficult decision’, she said. ‘I was ready for it and then the Nursing and Midwifery Council put out for retired nurses to help with the pandemic and I thought I was fit and healthy, I have no commitments, I’m not responsible for anyone, so I thought ‘why not? With all the redeployment, all the hospitals were well staffed and then the opportunity came up to go to care homes. It’s nice to be back, you know you’re helping and everyone is working as a team’.
‘There’s been no problem with personal protective equipment (PPE), I was a bit apprehensive the first time I went in but as long as there is PPE, then I’m quite happy. If I make a mistake, it’s my own problem and I know what I’m doing’.
This pragmatic approach to her work is nothing new, however. It was while she was working as manager of a care home that an opportunity arose to fulfil a lifelong dream by joining the Army Reserve, which allowed her to combine her passion for nursing with her spirit of adventure.