MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Help thy neighbour: in the Falkland Islands charity begins at home

Capt. Andrew Brownlee, MBE, a proud member of the Falklands’ community.

The reception held on Wednesday at the Falkland Islands Government House to recognise the community work of Capt. Andrew Brownlee, who earlier this year in Buckingham Palace was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours, and the announcements this week from two local charities that recent events had raised over £17,000 from within the community, highlight a tight-knit community where charity begins at home and people are more than willing to give up their time and contribute to helping their neighbour.

In his welcoming remarks H. E. the Governor Mr Nigel Haywood praised Mr Brownlee for all of his work, especially with the Cancer Support and Awareness Trust where he headed the fundraising of £35,000 to bring a mammogram machine to the Falklands to screen women for breast Cancer. However, like many who work quietly and tirelessly behind the scenes without seeking thanks or recognition, Andy Brownlee, who has lived in the Falklands for 28 years, has immersed himself in many aspects of the community, he is a voluntary retained fireman, an active member of the Falkland Islands Defence Force, a Justice of the Peace, and sits on the Media Trust as well as several government committees.

On receiving his award Mr Brownlee observed that it was now a double honour to tell people he was a Falkland Islander, though not born here, and that he received his MBE for services to the Falkland Islands.

The reception at Government House was a new initiative as previous recipients have had to choose between receiving their honours either at the formal occasion of Buckingham Palace or locally at Government House with family, friends and the community in which their work has been recognised. Governor Nigel Haywood commented that, “This seemed rather a stark choice; people can now have the best of both worlds”.

Meanwhile two charities have recognised the generosity and community spirit of the Falkland Islanders over the past week.

On Saturday 17th December the Falkland Islands Radio Station held a day of fund-raising and radio auctions to support the Stephen Jaffray Memorial Fund. This fund, set up by the family of the late Stephen Jaffray, helps with the flight and accommodation costs for the family members of people who need to leave the Islands for medical treatment and who might otherwise be unable to afford to accompany and support them.

 Falkland Islands Radio Station Manager Corina Goss said she was delighted with the success of the 12-hour long event, “The response from the people of the Falkland Islands was truly overwhelming. We raised more than £10.000 thanks to the kind donations from the people of the Falklands. I just want to say thank you to everybody really. The helpers on the day, the radio station staff giving up their time, the people that donated the items.”

In similar news the Falkland Islands Branch of the Royal British Legion reported a fantastic response to this year’s Poppy Appeal. With donations still coming in, the total is set to exceed £6.000 and has “staggered” branch Chairman Neil Russell, who commented;

“It is wonderful to see that the Legion is still receiving such support and it is heart-warming to know that in these days of many service charities, the Legion is still popular. The benevolence of the Islanders and those serving at Mount Pleasant is truly amazing and we are indebted to everyone. It is poignant that here in the Falkland Islands, almost 30 years after the conflict, we are able to give something back to a cause which has helped so many of those that liberated us. The Legion provides support to serving and ex-serving members of the Armed Forces and their dependants and is as busy today, 90 years on, as it has always been. The money raised will be used to provide welfare here in the Islands and help those in need in the UK.”

When external news may cast a shadow, it is heart-warming to know that community spirit in the Falklands is strong and that such stories are the norm rather than the exception. The Falklands have a population of a little over 3000 people but function as a self-governing country with all the community services and social care that this entails. This means that there is a high reliance on people going beyond their daily jobs to make the Islands and the community what they are.

The Falklands Fire and Rescue Service calls upon 37 voluntary retained firemen and women who give up their time for training and lead their lives with a bleeper on their belts. The Falkland Islands Defence Force, similar to the Territorial Army in the UK, relies on its active members who voluntarily give up evenings and weekends to train.

And whilst there are no official figures for clubs and charities an unofficial “office” tally counts at least 37 charities, 28 sports clubs and 10 youth clubs. From the “Blue Bus” that helps the older and less able around Stanley for their shopping to the “Falkland Islands Overseas Games Association” that helps young sports-people to receive training and compete abroad, from “Stanley Youth Club” to the “Rifle Association”, from the “Cancer Support and Awareness Group” to the “Sea Cadets”, all are funded from within the community and run by volunteers who give up their time.

Perhaps this community responsibility and empathy for others derives from the fact that in a small community problems are not “over there” or “someone else’s” but right next door and happening to someone you know. Perhaps it comes from the remote nature of the Islands where early settlers had to rely upon each other to get by. Perhaps such self-reliance comes from outside pressures and a neighbour that seeks to isolate the Islands......

But whatever the reasons the world could learn much from the sense of community that unites the Falklands and the people that live there.

By Grant Munro – SeAledPR - Stanley

Capt. Andrew Brownlee, MBE, a proud member of the Falklands’ community