MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Simon Weston charity fund
As the Iraq war began, a veteran severely wounded in the 1982 Falklands War, Simon Weston, raised a large sum of money for his charity called the Weston Spirit, which runs youth centres and personal development programmes throughout Britain.
Another Falklands veteran, the Duke of York, a Royal Navy helicopter pilot in 1982, was guest of honour at the fifteenth anniversary dinner in London which raised almost £40,000 (about 60,000 dollars) for the charity. The Duke is patron of the charity. A former Chief of Defence Staff, Lord Guthrie is its new President.
The former Welsh Guardsman, who went back to the Falklands last year to make a BBC television documentary called "Simon's Heroes", was badly burned along with other Welsh Guardsmen when the landing ship Sir Galahad was set ablaze by an Argentine bomb at Fitzroy on May 12th, 1982.
He set up the charity to motivate teenagers who lack opportunity and hope and feel they have no future. His charity began in 1988 in Liverpool, where he has been awarded the freedom of the city, Merseyside's greatest honour. He has previously been awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire).
The aims behind his initiative are to encourage personal development, confidence and self-esteem. The organisation now has Centres around the UK including Newcastle, Sunderland, Merseyside, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, London, Leeds and Manchester. It helps tens of thousands of teenagers through dynamic personal and social development programmes. Simon Weston is also a founder member of the South Atlantic Medal Association.
Harold Briley, (MP) London
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesCommenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!