OUR MISSION: WORKING WITH THE CHILDREN

Educating the younger generation remains important in Friends of the Tenth’s mission.

Although the majority of our current work lies within obtaining the sculpture, our efforts to educate and inform remains high in our objectives.

We have for several years, engaged with Somerby School, aiding their studies around WW2 with our expertise and personal connections.

Arnhem veterans and members of the Parachute Regiment and FOTT have visited and spoken with the children on several occasions. The children have been fascinated not only by the tale of ‘Myrtle’ but also by the story of the ultimate bravery of Lionel Queripel VC and thrilled to know that he once cheerily walked the village streets they walk down.

In recent years some of the children have joined the service and parade in September, marching with the Paras and laying flowers at the memorial stained-glass window in the church. In fact, there is no proven record, but it is suspected that the ‘maroon’ of the school uniform may be linked to the regimental colour.

We recently visited Somersby School with a past member of the 10th Battalion, this brought to light for the children the huge part the little village had in the war. It helped them ‘give a purpose’ to their learning which were shown in ‘wonderfully detailed’ reports they produced, spoke Sarah Moulds.

“The children loved learning about 10th battalion’s time in Somerby. From finding out where they stayed, how they kept themselves fit and occupied and what trouble they managed find themselves in while waiting for their time to come! In particular, the children loved hearing about the infamous ‘Myrtle’ the flying/not flying chicken!”

In the last few weeks thanks to our Dutch friend, Liset Vos-van Der Ven, we have managed to contact the Dalton de Marienborn School in Oosterbeek (very close to where the 10th Battalion made its legendary last stand).

We hope that starting next school year children will be encouraged to communicate with each other through letters and school work, forming connections and bonds overseas. In the long run we would also hope to be able to organise and fund exchange trips for the children, expanding education and showing them another side of the 10th battalion.

Liset, a contact at De Marienborn School in Oosterbeek, recently posted on our facebook page highlighting her involvement with us and her passion for the topic. She spoke about ‘building a friendship between these two populations of young children’ to let them ‘learn’ and ‘teach’ each other.

We are very passionate to help both schools build this connection and are excited to see what Friends of the Tenth could bring in terms of overseas education and expanding our community. These are only the first schools we wish to build a relationship with and look for other communities that would be interested in our help.

If anyone is reading this who has contact with such establishments or may be able to help; please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Further find the full messages from Liset and Sarah on our social media.
Facebook: facebook/FriendsOfTheTenth
Twitter: @fot10th

Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Reserves and Cadets)

I joined the 10^th Battalion The Parachute Regiment in 1986 as a private soldier and, following Commissioning, served at a number of Regimental duty appointments until my final appointment as the Battalion Second in Command.

In whichever capacity I have since served in my Reserve ‘career’ I look back at my time at 10 PARA with fondness, pride, gratitude and a sense of privilege – privileged to have served in a battalion with such an illustrious history and with men whose physical prowess, spirit and infectious optimism truly sets them apart, all acutely aware of the legacy handed down to them from those that went before – everyman an Emperor!

I support wholeheartedly the current fundraising campaign led by Friends of The Tenth to raise a memorial in Somerby, the village from which the Battalion deployed to Arnhem in 1944 -an iconic battle which, arguably more than any other, epitomises the fighting spirit of the British Paratrooper and in which the 10^th Battalion played such a significant role.

It is right and fitting that we remember those officers and soldiers of the 10^th Battalion The Parachute Regiment who fought at Arnhem, many of whom were never to return.

We are hugely saddened to announce the tragic news that one of our most valuable and hardest working committee members, Nick Lucy, of Reach Marketing, passed away suddenly last Friday.

Nick has worked tirelessly and way beyond the call of duty for our cause and his consistently enthusiastic efforts on the behalf of Friends of The Tenth can account for our considerable attention by various media, social, TV, Radio and newspapers over the last year.

Our sincere condolences to his wife, Caroline and their families. He will be sorely missed.

RIP Nick – You were truly a great and dedicated friend of The Tenth.

FRIENDS Of The Tenth have achieved another important milestone in their mission to raise £75,000 for a commemorative sculpture . . . after being granted charitable status.

The group applied to the Charity Commission, the Regulator for Charities in England and Wales, to be legally registered in order to provide further impetus for their fund-raising activities.

That application has been successful, so Friends of the Tenth now has the registered charity number 1176669 which will be included on all its documentation and official correspondence.

With more than £17,000 already raised for the commemorative sculpture in honour of the 10th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, this latest development is a further boost.

Group Chairman Alec Wilson, one of three Charity Trustees, commented: “To be legally registered as a charity now is an official hallmark for what we are trying to achieve with this mission.

“One of the immediate doors which it opens is our capacity to apply to HMRC for Gift Aid. If we can obtain that, it will make a considerable difference to how much we can raise.”

He added: “As much as anything though, it shows we are complying to good practice and that will be reassuring to members of the public when considering whether to support us.

“We are accountable and trustworthy, while the group’s constitution has clearly defined objectives. These are all important criteria of being able to obtain this registered status.”

As well the Group’s Chairman, the other two nominated Charity Trustees are Tim Hall-Wilson and Madeline Gibbard, who is Friends of the Tenth Secretary.