Page 40 - QARANC Vol 14 No 10 2015

38 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Christmas Gifts for QARANC Personnel on Ops
Liz Rolfe a former member of the Corps lives in France with her husband and has raised funds over the years on Remembrance Sunday by providing a Sunday Lunch for Ex- Pats that live in the surrounding area. The reasoning behind her fund raising efforts is to donate the funds to the QARANC Association in order that Christmas gifts can be purchased for members of the Corps who are on an operational tour. Last year they managed to raise nearly £500.
I managed to have coms with the Adjutant at 22 Fd Hosp on Op Gritrock and asked if he could find out what gifts would be appropriate. The response came back very quickly - board games, Haribos, DVD’s and definitely no cards.
The shopping party consisted of myself, Lt Col Pat Gibson MBE and Sally our Treasurer who ensured that Pat & I did not spend over the budget! We took on board the brief and purchased a few extra treats too. The shopping trolley soon became full with numerous board games, hand creams, shower gels, Christmas DVD’s, boxes of M&S biscuits, chocolate sprouts! (a must for Christmas day!) nuts, Christmas cake slices and of course a variety Haribos sweets.
It was great fun shopping for all the gifts but then came the realisation that we had to wrap and pack them! A plea was sent out for a ‘Christmas wrapping party’ and was delighted that personnel from MDHU FP and 4 AMR turned up at the Army Medical Directorate in Camberley to assist. I organised coffee and mince pies and we spent the morning wrapping all the gifts.
I would like to thank the following for their assistance with
the wrapping of the get them in the post
Maj C Jordan
Maj A Robinson
LCpl D Shadwell
LCpl S Golding
Pte S Samuel
Pte S Rai
Pte O Dow
I would like to assure Liz and
QARANC personnel on deployment really appreciated the fact that someone had thought about them. We cannot thank you enough Liz for your continued time and effort that goes into raising these funds. A huge thank you from all members of the Association.
H Duncombe
QARANC Regt Sec
- - - - - - -
4 AMR MDHU MDHU MDHU MDHU MDHU MDHU
FPH (ITU)
FPH (ITU)
FPH (MAU/AMU)
FPH (MADU)
FPH (SADU)
FPH F6
her fellow fund raisers that the
gifts and ensuring that we managed to in time for Christmas.
Birmingham City University Carol Service
With our forage caps pressed tightly into our foreheads and lights from festive window displays dancing across our shining parade shoes, we briskly strode into Birmingham Cathedral on 04 December 2014, not just to escape the biting early winter cold but to attend the annual Birmingham City University (BCU) Carol Service.
Staff and students from the Department of Healthcare Education (DHE) were invited by Sister Christina McCann, BCU Catholic Chaplain, to attend and read at the Christmas Carol Service, reiterating the bond between BCU and DHE. Once enveloped in the warmth of the Cathedral, early attenders enjoyed the cadence, ebb and flow, of the Conservatoire Camerata warming their vocal chords. Others, trying to find their own voices, were waging a battle against butterflies beating wings against the barreled walls of their stomachs.
The Service which sought to highlight the injustices and kindnesses in our world today, commenced with an arresting solo that belied the fragile build of its vocalist. A hush fell over the expansive congregation. The Service had begun.
Joining staff and students from all backgrounds and disciplines, Major Cripps was allotted the heftiest reading of all. The advice given to the students reading before the service, which was coloured with reassuring metaphors involving piccolos, reading pace and adequate breathing to avoid collapse, was evidently on her mind, while it
played through ours. The Service was interwoven with brilliant song from the Conservatoire students, a treat commensurate with the nervous outlay of those taking the podium to read. Padre Young, our departmental Chaplain, joined us in reading for the congregation.
Our readings came and went and the nerves subsided. While jolly Christmas ditties for the congregation’s participation speckled the Service, the poignancy of the readings and other-worldly beauty of the Conservatoire’s pieces ebbed their way into all in attendance. It was Christmas time and a sense of celebration, gratitude and humanity became tangible.
Following the service, staff and students tucked into mince pies with gloved hands. University staff and members of the congregation engaged us all in conversation and kindly offered compliments on our turn out. It was a proud moment for the students who do not often get to don our hard earned No 2’s.
Travelling home that evening, the twinkling orbs of light in the late afternoon cityscape took on a homely warmth despite the temperature, a sign that Christmas was definitely near.
The staff and students of DHE would like to thank BCU for their invitation to participate in the Christmas 2014 Carol Service.
Pte Bernadene Varty
QARANC