In February 2016, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity awarded an individual grant to the late Warrant Officer 1 (Regimental Sergeant Major) Alan ‘Lugsy’ Loveland of the 17/21 Lancers to enable him to make housing adaptations to his home, including a wet room. In 2015, Alan was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and was referred to the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice in Farnham where he worked with a physiotherapist to manage his condition and on occasion stayed at the hospice.
The mission of the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice is to care compassionately for adults living with advanced or terminal illness so they have the best possible quality of life to ensure their final days are peaceful. The Soldiers’ Charity has been supporting this hospice since 2002 and awarded a grant in July 2018, which enabled veterans with terminal illness to receive the care they needed in West Surrey and North East Hampshire.
Debs Loveland, who is a former Staff Sergeant in the Army Welfare Service and wife of the late Alan Loveland, speaks about the importance of the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice, saying it had become a huge part of her life. Debs is very grateful to The Soldiers’ Charity, which has supported both the hospice and Alan in his time of need.
Debs wants to give something back to The Soldiers’ Charity and will be cheering on her children, their spouses, close family friends and many military veterans who are all are undertaking the 50 mile Lancer Smoker Cycle ride. They will be going from the Bovington Tank Museum, going via Lulworth Cove, then on to Weymouth and then finishing in Moreton, Dorset to coincide with Armed Forces Day on 29 June 2019. The ride will be in memory of Alan and many other veterans who have died recently.
We wish Debs and all the cycling team the very best of luck for their ride.