General Articles

AFB Young Patron Dan Richards

I joined The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery on the 15th November 2003, after Basic Training at ATR Pirbright and Phase 2 Training at the Royal School of Artillery, Lark Hill.

In September 2007 I became the first Kings Troop Soldier to be sent on Op Herrick. I mainly worked out of Camp Bastion and Kabul dealing with all the interpreters for the British and Danish. There were quite a few "hairy moments." One time whilst in Kabul in a convoy from Camp Souter to KAIA (Kabul International Airport), the driver of my vehicle hadn't first paraded the vehicle properly and, as we were the last vehicle, we were left stranded and I watched the rest of the convoy disappear into the night. We were quickly surrounded by what looked like the entire population of Afghanistan, and you could hear the stones hitting the outside. Then I was brought back to the initial brief that there had been reports of a suicide bomber patrolling our route! Needless to say Force Protection turned up after about 40 minutes. There were others I could tell you about but it would turn into a novel! Anyway, I returned in March 2008, but the following year on 31st May 2009, the day after I was involved with the first review of Trooping the Colour, I was
involved in a road traffic accident. I have no memory of it but it involved the amputation of my right arm and shoulder, and I broke both ankles and smashed my left arm. When I woke up in hospital I thought I was back in the block, and had no recollection of an accident.... After the story about what had happened I said I'd never get back on a bike again.

After Headley Court I returned to work, got back on a horse and learned to ride again, but always felt something was missing. I knew it was the bike but convinced myself it would pass. Well, it never did, and so after 2 years and a chat with my family I now ride a Yamaha XV1900, which is my pride and joy. NABD adapted my bike for me and Headley Court gave me a prosthetic arm which I think looks pretty cool!

On March 13th 2012 I was told that I would be Medically Discharged. The following day I had my left ankle fused, and the day after that I was in Tedworth House. Since then I've been very much involved with Help for Heroes and The Veterans Charity. September 2012 I was in the Paralympic closing ceremony in front of 85,000 people, and then I was involved with Bell's Whiskey Advertising campaign for H4H. Somewhere there is a perspex statue of me (and 20 other individual statues of 20 others) for the "Bells Whiskey Bell's Battalion!”

AFB Trustees Grant Policy 2014

1. AFB Core Objectives are:

a) To assist former serving members of the armed forces who are in charitable need as a result of injury or other harmful experience suffered during their service to resettle and rehabilitate into civilian life.

b) To relieve the needs of former members of the armed forces and their families.

2. Requests for funding are invited from Armed Forces organisations registered with the Charity Commission and from ex-armed forces personnel and their immediate dependants:

a) Grant application can be submitted online via our website Charity page.

b) Applications are considered by trustees with the aim of enabling veterans to network with us by supplying them with cheap computer technology and the means to keep in regular contact with us so that we can support their needs. This will include basic IT training tailored to each individual's needs.

c) We make grants to help veterans and their immediate dependants settle into rented housing through paying for bonds and necessary domestic equipment required for basic living needs.

d) Travel expenses for unemployed veterans to and from courses/interviews/meetings that will lead to employment or help them to integrate into society.

e) Funding of training which will lead directly to full-time employment for unemployed veterans.

f) To provide hardship funds e.g. winter fuel bills, basic food, bedding or other basic living needs.

g) We also seek out small, less well known, service related charities or projects and support them with funds with the aim of working with them to support veterans and their immediate dependants in charitable need. Applications are considered by trustees on a regular basis for small grants of £500, although larger grants of £1000 may be considered.

3. Feedback on project outcomes is appreciated in any case and is required in support of repeat applications.

4. All applicants will receive a response from a trustee whether or not their application has been successful.

Exclusions

The AFB does not fund:

• Non-Armed Forces Charities and projects or individuals who have not served in the armed forces or are not the immediate dependants of ex-armed forces personnel.
• Individuals (expeditions, educational purposes, medical treatment or holidays).
• Projects concerned with travel, adventure, sports or recreation.
• Organisations which do not have UK charity registration, unless they are a Community Interest Company (CIC) registered with Company House and they are set up purely for the benefit of veterans, and from individuals who are receiving considerable grants from other agencies.
• Any requests from veterans who reside outside the UK.

The AFB receives many more applications than can be supported and even if your project meets our requirements we may not be able to help. In all cases trustee will ensure that applications are considered on a case by case basis.