Page 40 - QARANC Spring 2024
P. 40
40 The Gazette QARANC Association
Hugs and encouragement from HRH,
The Duchess of Edinburgh inspired QARANC team in Canada challenge
In November 2023, eight service personnel, led by Lieutenant Pramod Sherchan, represented the QARANC in the Duchess of Edinburgh Competition 2023 (formerly the Countess of Wessex Cup) hosted in the Niagara Region
of Canada by the previous year’s champions, The Lincoln and Welland Regiment.
This high-profile competition served as an outstanding platform for military nurses and healthcare assistants to demonstrate their skills, teamwork and dedication to excellence in the field. Our commitment to inclusivity guided the selection of competitors from across all four Joint Hospital Groups (JHGs) and eight service personnel from the QARANC were chosen by their chain of command.
The logistics of managing personnel across four geographical locations posed significant complications for pre-deployment preparation and training. Fortunately, the determination and commitment of all eight individuals made the entire process smoother than anticipated.
We had only six weeks for preparation. It was evident that pre-deployment preparations needed to be impeccable to secure final approval. These preparatory tasks were not conducted in isolation but were skilfully led and coordinated for the entire UK group through the Equerry to HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh, Capt Paige Welsh (REME) and her small team.
