Page 121 - The Chapka 2016

REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN) 119
Home Headquarters
Home Headquarters: The Royal Lancers, Lancer House, Prince William of Gloucester Barracks, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG13 7TJ Telephone: 0115 9573195 Email: regimentalsecretary@theroyallancers.org
Regimental Secretary Regimental Secretary Continuity Assistant Regimental Secretary Assistant Regimental Secretary (Heritage) Administrative Officer Grantham Administrative Officer Wigston Administrative Assistant Grantham Administrative Assistant Wigston
The HHQ team both in Grantham and the outlying office in Wigston have melded together well during the last year. As with all of things we have tried to take the best from both sides and develop a service that suits most people. Inevitably there have been changes some of which you may not be accustomed to. Give us a bit more time and see if they are an improvement. In any event do let us know what you like and what you don’t like. At the end of the day we need to supply you with the best support within our means. On the subject of means you should be aware that at the year-end we are due to lose the Wigston office and the posts associated with it. Rest assured that I am doing all I can to make sure that our loyal clerks are reemployed somewhere in the MOD but the sword of Damocles is hanging over civil service posts – life is not going to be easy for them. Actually the sword of Damocles hangs more dramatically over the Grantham Office albeit the sword is great deal further away! As part of the Government’s efforts to boost the housing stock in line with an election promise, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation was asked to identify establishments that could provide land for 50,000 houses. Amongst the sites identified for closure between 2020 and 2040 was Prince William of Gloucester (PWG) Barracks (probably closer to 2020 we believe, judging by when our neighbours are moving or being disbanded). Appar- ently PWG Barracks’ footprint will have room for 10,000 houses. Meanwhile, right outside our camp gates, planning permission has been granted for 3,700 dwellings on a non-military site! We are on notice but I certainly will not be ordering the packers until I see where we are going.
Regimental Trust
The Royal Lancers Charitable Trust (RLCT) has been estab- lished and all the assets (both financial and heritable) have been transferred from the antecedent trusts to the new regimental trust. During the summer the accounts will be examined and the annual return made to the Charity Commission by October.
The Chattels Committee has, on behalf of the Trustees, had all our property revalued and we now have an up to date values for market and insurance purposes and the replacement costs for the iconic pieces. The Chattels Committee is refining our disposal policy and although the trustees have not yet authorised the sale of “surplus” items it seems likely to happen in the window of the five year moratorium ending and the move by the regiment to Warminster (2020/21). Clearly trustees will wish to retain the iconic pieces and there is little prospect of ‘treasures’ being sold.
Please contact HHQ if you would like to contribute to the trust either by way of a standing order or by legacy.
One of the objects of the trust is to support all lancers who are in need. This work is principally carried out by Lieutenant Colonel
Major MDA Pocock Lieutenant Colonel JG Adkins Major PA Watson
Captain JM Holtby
Mrs L Reeves
Mr S Mamnani
Mrs S McClean
Mrs C Bokenham
Ferret Scout Car outside HHQ
Joe Adkins and Major Phil Watson who manage the casework undertaken by SSAFA and find the finance required to fund these needs from several sources including our own regimental trust – a report on distributions from the trust can be found else- where in this journal.
Officer Recruitment
The Colonel of Regiment is responsible for the selection of offic- ers for the Regiment. Our quota of new officers is five per annum. Please contact either the Colonel or the Regimental Secretary if you know of someone (man or woman) who has an interest in joining the regiment. We are quite happy to nurture them from boys and girls without putting them under any pressure to join the Army if they have an interest.
MDAP