with thanks to Brenda Taff Davies for sharing
Fan Dance is this weekend! An update from the Chairman
To all members of the BAFC and members of our Facebook group
Hi everyone
This weekend is the Brecon Fandance weekend and it’s our biggest fundraising event of the year.
We will be having our legendary auction and a raffle Saturday evening in the rugby club, approx 1900 hrs. By then you’ll have had a few drinks to loosen the locks on your wallets and purses ( ex mortar men)
To kick off this fundraising week I would like you all to divide your age by 10 and then donate that figure to the BAFC. I’ve just kicked it off with a donation of £2.10 ( I wish )
)Ray Larkin is 84 so he’s agreed to donate £8.40
I did this type of fundraiser last year and we received over £600 which was brilliant! We have more members now and people have also joined our Facebook group so please donate if you’re able to, all the money goes to help our Airborne brothers in their time of need. Many thanks everyone 
Bank account details-
British Airborne Forces Club
Account number- 3051 6068
Sort code- 30 90 09
LTSB
Looking forward to a great weekend.
All the best
Nick
Chairman 
GET READY FOR BRECON 2024
GET READY FOR BRECON
DON’T LEAVE IT UNTIL LAST MINUTE!!!!!
we have the following tops for sale with the BAFC logo on and giving the BAFC a % of the sales
We have maroon in the following
Polo shirt xsmall – 7xl £24
T-shirt xsmall- 5xl £23
Sweatshirts small – 5xl £29
Hoodies small – 5xl £34
Caps £14 with a dz £19
Ref the BAFC Brecon Fandance weekend 17/18 May 2024.
To all paid up members of the BAFC
Hi guys
Ref the BAFC Brecon Fandance weekend 17/18 May 2024.
I have been updated by the RQMS at Dering Lines, Jamie ( Squash) Billingham that as things currently stand we can use Dering Lines to accommodate 55 paid up members of the Club next year.
He has advised that the Battle School is going through some major changes and the offer of accommodation could well be pulled. Squash has asked me to send him details of those wishing to use Dering Lines by the beginning of next March.
This offer is for paid up members only, no family or friends of members are allowed to use the Lines.
There will be no charge for the accommodation but as always we will be charged for any damages caused by members and we lose the use of Dering Lines. Any member found to have damaged the accommodation will automatically be expelled from the BAFC. I have to say that over the last 5 years there has been zero damage and no complaints from the QM, testimony to the quality of our members.
Can I kindly ask that all requests for accommodation in Dering Lines next year are messaged to me directly through Messenger. I will not accept requests added to Facebook! I need requests to be sent to me BY MESSENGER by no later than 29 February 2024. This is on a first come, first served basis.
If you are taking a vehicle into the Lines I will need the make/ model/ colour and VRN of your vehicle when you send me your request.
I have sent a message of thanks on behalf of the Club to Squash and his team in the QM’s Dept for their continued support of the BAFC.
Many thanks guys.
Best wishes
Nick
Chairman
To all members of the BAFC – Support Our Paras
To all members of the BAFC
Hi guys
As was agreed by members that attended Fandance this year, we have sent £1000 to the annual hamper appeal for Support our Paras. I received the following message of thanks today from Natalie who works for Support our Paras at RHQ in Colchester.
We will discuss this donation at the AGM in Brecon next May and seek approval to make a similar donation next December 2024.
All the best
Nick – Chairman
“ Hi Nick
Lovely to speak to you just now. As I mentioned on the phone, I just wanted to express our heartfelt thanks to all the members of the British Airborne Forces Club for the generous £1,000 donation you’ve made towards our Hamper Appeal this year.
As staunch supporters of this appeal in the past, you will be keenly aware how meaningful your donation is towards this bigger cause. In 2022, the charity sent out 402 hampers spending a total of £34,000, so the Club’s generosity will again purchase the best part of 12 hampers for Airborne veterans this year.
I’d be grateful if you could pass on our thanks to all members who supported this donation; it truly means a lot when our veterans support each other in this way. We are increasingly seeing generous support from the wider Airborne family here at SUPPORT OUR PARAS, and, since half of our staff have our own links to the Reg, is something that we are extremely proud to be a small part of.
Many thanks indeed for the support, and safe landings this festive season.
Best wishes
Natalie
Support our Paras”
Orthopaedic treatment for veterans
To all members of the BAFC
You may well be interested in this article about orthopaedic treatment for veterans.
For all veterans please read and share.
Any dodgy knees and hips out there??
This was posted by the old BSM of 2nd Royal Anglian today
Interesting reading. As a veteran, you can ask for a referral to a specialist Orthopaedic clinic at The Robert Jones & Edith Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 7AG.
There is a specific Veterans Clinic run by Lt Col Carl Meyer, an Army Reserve consultant surgeon who also works with 202 Field Ambulance and Reserve Hospital. I applied for a referral on 16 March, this year, and on 3rd May, a week ago, had a hip replacement, a total of just over 6 weeks. Lt Col Meyers specialises in hips and knees. If you don’t mind a few days away from family, I can assure you it’s more like a hotel than a hospital, and the foods really good. Having a long wait ahead of you at your local GP and hospital, this might be the way to go to achieve a much quicker result.
What is it? A service for military veterans to have their hip or knee arthritis assessed and, if appropriate, have joint replacement surgery and is led by Lt Col Carl Meyer, Military Consultant Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Surgeon at Oswestry’s specialist orthopaedic hospital. Lt Col Meyer is an Army Reserve officer who has been on three tours to Afghanistan and one to Iraq. He is an Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon with 16 Medical Regiment, 202 (Midlands) Field Hospital.
Who is it for? Anyone who has been in regular military service, including national service.
Where is it? The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (RJAH), Oswestry, Shropshire SY10 7AG , and is a centre of orthopaedic excellence specialising in lower limb replacement surgery.
When is it? Outpatient clinics are held fortnightly at RJAH. (Normally on a Wednesday)
How do I obtain an NHS referral? Through your GP – Ask to be referred to the VETERANS’ HIP & KNEE SURGERY SERVICE at Oswestry – And ask your GP to make a named referral to Lt Col Meyer
Contact information Email: rebecca.ann.jones@rjah.nhs.uk Fax: 01691 404067 Tel: 01691 404344
Your records at your GP needs to be annotated with the NHS issued codes for military/veterans, take photocopies of your red discharge book, because he will ask for proof that you’re a veteran.
Military medical codes
13J1. Military veteran
13JY. History relating to Military Service
13qo. History relating to Army Service
13q1. History relating to RN Service
13q2. History relating to RAF Service
13q3. Served in the Armed Forces
Any questions? Please feel free to contact me at any time. Lt Col Meyer wants to “do” more operations for veterans, but he has two problems, 1; finding the patients, he knows that we are out here, it’s letting us know he’s there for us, and 2; getting the money from the NHS, but, the more ops he does the more money they will give him, therefore the more ops he can do. So, come on, I’ve had 3 enquiries so far, there must be more than us 3. If you are members of other military Facebook sites please, please, please copy and paste to these pages and let as many veterans know about this brilliant service that’s just for us. It’s about time us vets got something back for our years of loyal service. Nick- Chairman
British Airborne Forces Club memorial bench
The Committee made a decision to liaise with Tommy Simpson and enquire about the Club having our own bench placed in Aldershot Military Cemetery.
As a result of our enquiries I authorised the purchase and we now have our own Club bench in the cemetery and this will have plaques to commemorate the Fallen placed on it through Tommy and Stace and the Memorial Fund.
Many thanks to Tommy for arranging this.
This is all part of the Club ethos and I’m sure you’ll all support this purchase.
Many thanks
Nick Butler
Chairman
Have you renewed your membership?
We can only fund projects like this and the assistance we give to our airborne brothers in need through the membership fees, donations and fundraising which, owing to COVID, you will appreciate has been severely curtailed over the past year or so.
If you want to renew your membership, you can renew (£10/yr) by making a payment to;
The British Airborne Forces Club
Lloyds Bank
Sort code: 30-90-09
a\c No: 30516068.