Afghanistan amputee and Baroness Boothroyd in support of the Battle Back Centre
25 November 2011
Recent service leaver and Royal British Legion beneficiary, Aron Shelton, and Baroness Boothroyd were special guests at a major donor function to raise awareness of The Royal British Legion's 'Road to Recovery' campaign. The event, held at the Supreme Court, was hosted by CEO of the Supreme Court and Royal British Legion Trustee, Jenny Rowe.
Aron Shelton, from East Yorkshire, had his leg
amputated in 2008, following an incident in Afghanistan when the
vehicle he and his mates were travelling in hit a roadside bomb.
Aron spoke of his time in the Battle Back program and had the crowd
laughing with his account of learning how to water ski on an
"ironing board" as an amputee.
Aron was honoured to attend the event and said; "the Battle Back program has taught me that, through sport and physical activity, there is still hope and no matter what an individual's needs are, Battle Back can provide that hope."
Long-time advocate of The Royal British Legion, Baroness Boothroyd spoke passionately about the forces community and the need to overcome new challenges and ensure justice is done for Armed Forces families. She said the poppy has a stubborn sense of regeneration and congratulated the Legion on its recent campaigning successes.
Director General of The Royal British Legion, Chris Simpkins, explained that there are currently 3,000 wounded, sick or injured in-Service personnel and that a "one size fits all" approach to recovery doesn't work.
"The Battle Back Centre will focus on the individual and will inevitably help people to help themselves. These inspiring people deserve inspiring facilities and, working with the MoD, that is what we hope to provide."
The Legion is putting £50 million into helping injured Armed Forces to recover, including £30 million for the Battle Back Centre at Lilleshall in the West Midlands, as part of MOD's Defence Recovery Capability program in which Help for Heroes is also a principal partner. The Battle Back Centre will be a national centre of excellence for adaptive sport and adventurous training to help Service personnel recover and either return to duty, or re-skill and make a successful transition to civilian life.
The £50 million commitment is the biggest single funding commitment the Legion has made in its 90 year history.
