When fast-stream civil servants from MOD decided to do something for Veterans Aid they lived up to their name – the ‘stream’ was in the Lee Valley and the ‘fast’ activity was white water rafting.
Subsequent activities included a catering workshop in Wellington Barracks, hosted by Sodexo, a day long carpentry session with the Goodlife Centre and a day at the Imperial War Museum.
The end of the program of events was marked by a presentation in the Memorial Courtyard at MOD Main Building on Whitehall.
VA’s fundraiser Colonel (Retd) Geoffrey Cardozo, who had been involved in the project throughout, thanked those who had worked so hard to put together the programme and explained how much the activities had meant to VA’s hostel residents. “Our men, although living under the same roof, often do not know each other. You provided them with opportunities to meet and understand each other. You also gave them a chance to look at various skills, to widen their horizons; confidence building at its best and totally in line with the VA ethos.
“All our men were amazed to see that a group of very hard-working young civil servants from the MOD had got together and decided to do something for them. You participated wholeheartedly in their activities, you talked, ate and joked with them.
“That hand of friendship which you extended to them – quite apart from all the other successful outcomes we are defining, measuring and heralding this evening – that hand of friendship was grasped firmly by each and every one of them and will never be forgotten.”
