WELCOME TO OUR FIRST FRIENDS OF HIGHGROUND NEWSLETTER!
In response to the many people who have contacted us since last summer with offers to help to raise precious funding and awareness, we are delighted to be able to share with you the launch of the Friends of HighGround (FHG).
We hope you enjoy the new format of our newsletter where as an FHG we will send you exclusive HighGround news and updates.
FHG’s Aims are below, I’ll let FHG’s new Trustee introduce himself, and hope that you will continue to support our work with those who have served their Country, as we continue to develop HighGround and life beyond the military – Outdoors.
Anna BC
Founder and Development Director
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MEET OUR NEWEST FHG TRUSTEE
We are delighted to welcome Jon Chandler onto our board of Trustees.
“I am delighted and honoured to have been appointed as a Trustee of HighGround. The organisation does an incredible job and I will do my best to help us advance further, especially in my Friends of HighGround role”. |
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I’ve witnessed through friends and relatives how tough the transition can be for Service Leavers. Cultivating a national focal point for land-based careers creates a real win-win, offering the potential of a rewarding vocation for the individual and an creating an excellent pool of talent for hiring organisations.
But with any young venture, there is often a knowledge or perception that we have to inform so that potential supporters and partners know what we do, know what we stand for – and why they should support us! Therefore I hope I can bring my knowledge of reputation building and business development to further our cause.”
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FRIENDS OF HIGHGROUND
FHG is the voluntary arm of HighGround which supports and promotes the work of the Charity through Fundraising and community awareness initiatives both locally and nationally.
The Vision is to create a community of Friends who will promote and facilitate the work of HighGround.
FHG’s Trustee Jon Chandler and a small group of individuals with a shared desire to support HighGround has formed a Steering Group to take this forwards, both locally and nationally.
Whilst the majority of our funding still comes from grant-making trusts and foundations, by starting the Friends of HighGround our aim is to diversify our funding sources to include more corporate and personal donations.
To that end, we have drawn up a Wishlist which we will update quarterly. Currently our pressing fundraising challenge is to raise the funding to recruit and employ a full time Rural Employment Manager to co-ordinate work experience and employment opportunities and support the growing number of Service Leavers and Veterans (our HighGrounders). Each item on the Wishlist is currently unfunded, and we hope that this will inspire you, our Friends and supporters, to help us to raise the funds for all these essential items – we run a pretty tight ship...
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HORTICULTURAL THERAPY – COUNTDOWN TO STANFORD HALL
Andy Wright joined Team HighGround on 1st May as our new Therapeutic Gardens Manager at Stanford Hall and we are delighted that Jane Taylor has agreed to become our new Horticultural Therapist to continue Carol’s wonderful legacy – Jane starts on 1st October.
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DONOR NEWS
Richard and Marietta Cahn came to visit us at Headley Court recently. Stanford Hall was Richard’s childhood home and he has generously given us a donation of £5,000 which marks the opening of our Endowment Fund which we have started to ensure the future of the Horticultural Therapy service at Stanford Hall beyond 2020 when the Chancellor’s LIBOR grant will have been spent. Massive thanks from us all Richard.
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RURAL WEEKS
We ran another two successful Rural Weeks (RW19 & RW20) at Bicton College in March. You can read our Rural Weeks Reports here and see the Flickr photos here.
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GOOD NEWS STORIES
Catch up on our latest success stories, including Sam Meredith and his studies at RAU and Duncan Boar's new business venture offering Alpine Walks.
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PROFILE: NICOLE COURTNEY-LEAVER
Everyone at Team HG does something different and each quarter we thought you would like to read about what they do for the Charity and why they do it.
This quarter we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Courtney-Leaver. Nicole is a TV news producer who helps us with our media output and is also on the new Steering Committee of the Friends of HighGround.
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THE LAST SUNSET CEREMONY
The last Sunset Ceremony at Headley Court earlier this month was a poignant event as the rehabilitation baton is now handed over to Stanford Hall to continue Headley Court’s legacy which began 69 years ago when squadron Leader Riddle established a Medical Rehabilitation unit at Headley Court for injured aircrew.
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THE BELVOIR FLOWER AND GARDEN FESTIVAL
The recent Belvoir Garden Festival in the stunning Capability Brown landscaped grounds at Belvoir Castle was an ideal opportunity for us to raise awareness of the new Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC) at Stanford Hall, what we will be doing there and the fact that we need to recruit Gardening Volunteers to help us to look after the therapeutic environments there.
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FUNDRAISING NEWS
Our Horticultural Therapy Challenge to raise the funds to support the delivery of the Horticultural Therapy service at Headley Court and the move to the DNRC when Headley Court closes in the summer received a welcome boost with a LIBOR grant from the Chancellor, and fundraising for our 2018 Rural Weeks programme at Bicton College continues.
Nick, Seb and Virgil their car are stickered and kitted up to begin their journey to Prague to the start of the Mongol Rally. We wish them safe travels for their intrepid adventure and thank them for their inspiration and generosity. Read more >
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LAST WORD from Lt Col Royal Gurkha Rifles via CTP (Age 54)
who joined us on a recent Rural Week:
I gained a much deeper and broader understanding of the land-based sector. The Rural Week also opened up a number of key contacts across the sector. This should allow me to tap into expert advice
and create the basis of a land-based network. Additionally during the Rural Week I have identified areas
in a number of employment fields that could lead to work opportunities: exciting prospect.
A really insightful and enjoyable course that is well put together and certainly the highlight of my resettlement package.
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FHG Event: Meet Andy & Jane
October (date tbc)
Leicestershire
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FHG Event
December (date tbc)
London
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GDPR AND OUR STANDARDS
GDPR came into effect on 25th May 2018. We had an extremely busy run up to this date, but our small team were able to pull out all the stops and get things in place in time. As a charity we take GDPR and the security of your information very seriously. To this end, we have ensured that all of our data processors comply rigorously to keep everything secure. You can read about our Standards here.
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Thank you for reading and please do share this email with anybody you think may be interested in supporting HighGround or who may be in need of our support.
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Copyright © 2018 HighGround, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you have opted in to receive our Friends of HighGround newsletter.
Our mailing address is:
HighGround, c/o, The London Scottish Regiment, 95 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2DX
Add us to your address book
Charity Reg No: 1151225. Limited Company No: 08236843
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