On Friday 19 June, our charity joined the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity at Royal Ascot to raise awareness and vital support for serving personnel, veterans and their families.
The atmosphere across the racecourse was fantastic, with our volunteers, including serving personnel and beneficiaries, joining racegoers to raise funds for the Armed Forces community.
To top off a special day, we were honoured that His Majesty The King and our Patron, Her Majesty The Queen, met two of our ambassadors.
Our chief executive, Major General (Ret’d) Tim Hyams CB OBE, was delighted to introduce Their Majesties to George Pas and Mark Harding, both of whom have stories of incredible grit and resilience.
George Pas is a decorated Army veteran whose military career was cut short by a serious road traffic accident that left him paralysed from the chest down, and who was helped by the ABF to regain his independence.
Mark Harding was told he would never walk again after being shot through the neck by a sniper in Afghanistan, but through sheer determination, support from the ABF, and a desire to honour his fallen comrades, has defied the odds.
We are delighted that George and Mark were able to spend time with our Patron at Royal Ascot, and are very grateful for the evident care and attention Her Majesty demonstrates for the Army and its people.
In addition to facilitating the tri-service collection, Ascot Racecourse has donated £2.50 from every jug of Pimms and Royal Ascot Blush sold on Friday 19 June, plus 1% of food vendor sales, and offered 2-for-1 tickets to Armed Forces personnel.
We are hugely grateful to all the racegoers who donated, our volunteers who gave their time, and Ascot Racecourse for their extremely generous continued support.