The Sandbag Times Issue No: 46

The Tommy Atkins Centre
Tommy Atkins Centre August
Hello from a very sunny
Worcester. We’re all making
the most of the glorious
sunshine here, though I
have to confess that Pablo
& I went to the Upton Blues
Festival last Friday evening
and the rain came down
pretty heavily for over an
hour. Typical!!
Pablo, Dr Jonathan Leach and
I did our bit for Operation
WAMITS too by taking a walk
along the SAS route of the Fan
Dance on Sunday 15th. I’m pleased to
say I was sensible and only tackled the first
hill, though once I’d recovered enough I
managed to get up and down it twice. Pablo
& Jonathan completed somewhere in the
region of ten miles each of the SAS route (I’m
really not jealous!!)
It’s been fairly quiet at the centre this month,
though we have had a Peer Mentoring group
with Combat Stress, and have another on
31st July. Combat Stress have also run
several meetings here too, and I’ve assisted a
homeless veteran in finding a permanent
home. We’ve had an awful lot of support too
from our Worcester Breakfast Club members
who dug deeply in their pockets and
purchased some Jacqueline Hurley prints
kindly donated to us to raise funds, along with
some pens and keyrings from Woody Turner.
To date, thanks to their generosity were on
social media to let veterans know t have
raised £165, so thank you guys and girls.
Very much appreciated.
I’ve been keeping a keen eye out on social
media for missing veterans, and pleas for
help. If you want to do your bit please take
part in our Operation WAMITS campaign, take
a video or photo’s as you walk and post to
social media to let veterans in your area know
where they can go to find help.
Well people, don’t forget to slap on plenty of
sun screen if you venture out anywhere, until
next time stay safe, and please, please,
please get the message out there on social
media to let people (not just veterans) know
where your local veterans can go to find help
if they need it.
Jane xx
www.sandbagtimes.co.uk/tommyatkinscentre
Over The Hills And Far Away...
Pablo & Dr Jonathan Leach Kick Off OP
WAMITS With A Jaunt Over Pen Y Fan
A warm, sunny Sunday morning in July was the perfect setting
for the SBT Editor and NHS Veterans Lead, england to
take a nice stroll over the beautiful Brecon Beacons in Wales
accompanied by Jonathan’s faithful hound, Jessie.
Heart disease and aged quite a few more years. The last 500
metres of the climb was definitely the worst but I battled on
until we climbed the last little struggle to the summit of Corn
Du. A swift walk across to the next peak and we were there.
Fun and suffering aside please do not forget what we did it
for. OP WAMITS. We posted on social media, we got our
message out to veterans in our area, now it’s your turn!
Armed with all of the mountain walking kit I could muster, first
aid kit, chocky bars, water pack, more chocky bars, emergency
bad weather kit (Yeah, really needed that!), even more
chocky bars, and anything else I could think of all wrapped
up in my gucci little day sack, we set off for the day, driven to
Wales by our old mate, Uncle Trevor with Jonathan and
Jessie following close behind.
Conditions truly could not have been any better. On arrival,
very keenly, we had a little stretch and then set off. Within
about 20 paces past the famed phone box, I regretted making
the decision of returning to an old stomping ground from
years before. But soldier on we must. And we did.
It was a very painful experience, I must admit. It had been
some years since I had walked the Fan, I had recovered from
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01905 27825
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