Help for Heroes founders honoured

The Shooting Gazette cartoonist and his wife founded the charity, which has now raised over £54,000,000 for injured servicemen and women, after a visit to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Birmingham’s Selly Oak Hospital.

Having initially set out to raise £10,000 on a charity bicycle ride, the charity’s fundraising work has led to the recent opening of the Help for Heroes Rehabilitation Complex at the armed forces rehabilitation centre at Headley Court.

This new £8,000,000 complex includes a range of facilities, including a new swimming pool and gym. 

Speaking at the opening of the complex on June 4 this year, His Royal Highness Prince William said: “Very occasionally something or someone pops up to change the entire landscape.

“Help for Heroes, under the magnificent and brilliantly quirky leadership of the mad cartoonist Bryn and his equally inspirational wife Emma is one such phenomenon.

“Always supportive of its men and women in uniform, this country has been elevated by Help for Heroes to a state of realisation and proactive support for our military that has made me, personally, very, very proud to be British and a member of our Armed Forces.”

There are strong military connections in the Parry family: their son Tom is an officer with Second Battalion the Rifles, Mrs Parry is a soldier’s daughter and Mr Parry served for 10 years with the Royal Green Jackets.

On learning of the awards, Mr Parry said: “Emma and I are greatly honoured by these awards and accept them on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of ordinary, decent people – our Help for Heroes contributors, who have done their bit to support our wounded.

“As individuals we may feel helpless, but by joining together we are making a real difference to the lives of those who have been injured while serving our country.

“We would like to thank everyone who continues to support our heroes.”

For more information on the charity, or to donate, visit: www.helpforheroes.org.uk.