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PRESENTATION OF CHEQUE (APPEAL ACHIEVED) – For the LCpl Wiggins Appeal
21 January 2009

Over the past couple of months the Battalion have been organising various appeals to help raise money for LCpl Simon Wiggins who was injured in the Battalions Op Herrick Tour last year.  LCpl Wiggins was seriously injured by a land mine blast in March 2008 and was on the critical list for two and a half weeks, spending eleven days on life support and requiring over 54 (fifty four) pints of blood.  His injuries included losing his right leg above the knee, one finger on his right hand and part of his liver.  In addition to these wounds he also received serious lacerations to his entire body including facial scaring.  LCpl Wiggins would have bled to death at the time of the incident if it would had not been for the bravery and professionalism of his colleagues, read more here.

LCpl Wiggins made a remarkable recovery and is trying to adapt back to Military life, his main problem however was his dependence on family and friends to move him where and whenever possible, requiring substantial logistical planning.

It became apparent that something needed to be done and needed to be done now, as quoted by Capt Johnstone (Recce Platoon Commander) 'Like all in the Blue Red Blue Brotherhood - we like to look after our own!'.  Ideas were mind-mapped and appeals were organised.  The first major event that was organised was the Coldstream Guards 24hr 3 Peaks Challenge.  Organised by Capt Johnstone and CSM Dicky Wright, the 3 peaks challenge asked for a group of individuals to travel to, up and down the 3 highest peaks of England, Scotland and Wales - in under 24 hours!  The event was accomplished, with help from the support team including Tony Martin, an old Coldstreamer who turned up at a given grid reference with a hot brew ready (read more here).

Capt Johnston, the team Captain said;
   “We decided to do something that could benefit LCpl Wiggins. He is a good Coldstreamer, a good soldier and a good friend to many. All money raised will be used to improve Simon’s quality of life and more importantly be put towards adapting and modifying his home. As Coldstreamers, we like to look after our own.”

After the events of the 3 Peaks Challenge Mess Members in the Sergeants' Mess came up with the idea of the 'Hougoumont or Bust' Challenge, and what started off as a logistical nightmare suddenly became achievable.  The idea was to travel the equivalent distance from Coldstream (Scotland, and a historical landmark in the Formation of the Regiment), to Hougoumont (pronounced who-ga-mont) another historical landmark in Belgium.  Captain White (the Recruiting Officer) and WOII Sheard (The Recruiting Warrant Officer) formed an elite team of 10 Warrant Officers (all over 35!) to take part in 'Hougoumont or Bust', these men would have to travel over 650 miles in an estimated time of 85 hours.  Each man would take turns throughout the period to run 470 miles (from Coldstream to Dover), row 27 miles (over the channel) and then cycle 147 miles (from Calais to Hougoumont) - the event is covered in great detail here.

The 'Hougoumont or Bust' challenge was gruelling to say the least, and the team managed to dig down to the fitness pits of despair to eventually smash the estimated 85 hour time with a completed time of 69 hours 34 minutes 36 seconds!  There were some outstanding performances of fitness including WOII Pote (faster runner), WOII Taylor (fastest rower) and WOII McWilliams (fastest man on the bike), but lets not forget it was a 'team' effort and the WHOLE team did outstanding.  Lets also mention that events such as these don't just happen by themselves and there was a 'huge' support team that helped achieved the aim (details here), but in particular SSgt 'Mark' Allen (the Battalion Fitness Guru) and Sgt 'Steve' Jones (Master Tailor) who worked tireless through the whole period (4 days) with stop watch in hand, waking each man up for 'their' turn.

Whilst all these events and appeals were taking place cheques, donations started to pop through the letter box on the front gate of Victoria Barracks.  The general public were amazing in helping the appeal achieve it's aim, and the locals of Windsor were OUTSTANDING!  Local clubs, pubs and nightclubs in Windsor (and Berkshire) held organised events to raise money for the appeal and the local townsfolk of Windsor put their hands in their pockets to donate over £2,000 whilst watching some over 35's run in and around Windsor!

All in all, with Battalion Personnel also donating and sponsoring events, and anonymous clubs & individuals donating the final FANTASTIC amount of £20,000 (yes twenty thousand pounds) was raised.  Lt Lisa Keevash (Media Officer) organised for the press (who have been 'Second to None' in all their support) to come into barracks to capture the moment the cheque was presented to LCpl Simon Wiggins.  I was on hand to try and also capture this moment, but also capture the moment of the press capturing the moment - if you know what I mean!
 

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