An offer of free radios was too good for members of The Kings Royal Hussars to turn down recently. With deployment to Iraq imminent, the unit were keen to be able to keep in touch with home via British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) radio.
WO2 John Donald and Sgt Paul Russell, accompanied by Cpl Geary and Trooper Ford, made the trip from their base at Tidworth to BFBS radios headquarters in South Bucks to collect the 35 freebie radios.
BFBS radio is part of the Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC) who manage the Operational Welfare Fund. The fund was set up to benefit Forces personnel who are often working in isolated and arduous conditions and whose recreational needs are sometimes not eligible for public funding, which is where the radios come in.
SSVC Managing Director, David Crwys-Williams said, The Fund gifts over a quarter of a million pounds every year to improve the lives of our Armed Forces on operational deployments around the world. We are delighted that through this donation there will be many who will benefit by keeping that vital link with home.
Details of how to apply for an SSVC OWF grant can be found at www.ssvc.com