Meet the Hidden Heroes
Pat was nominated for her unwavering commitment and dedication to the Royal British Legion. After many years’ service, she continues to be an invaluable support to the charity. We were delighted to arrange a break at Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat’saisons. Pat was their first Hidden Hero and they certainly pulled out all the stops, including a very special welcoming committee!
The Nomination (this is just an extract!)
“Pat started supporting the Legion in 1969 as a serving member of the Armed Forces and joined the Lee on the Solent Legion Branch in 1996. Pat – who served in the Navy and Reserves for 37 years – tirelessly holds more than 10 different positions, including that of Poppy Appeal Organiser and Case Worker, which are both volunteer roles. Pat is and has always been there for everyone else and expects no recognition for her outstanding work for our veterans and Armed Forces family. Through working with Pat, she has now become my greatest friend and I feel very lucky to have had her supporting me in fundraising for the last 13 years. More importantly though it is the people I meet that have nothing but the highest admiration and respect for the life changing work she does for those that need our help. She started as a Poppy Appeal collector in 1969 while still a serving member of the Armed Forces and in 1996 she joined the Lee on Solent Legion Branch and was soon asked to become the Branch Secretary. She still is the Branch Secretary, as well as the Branch Welfare Representative, the Branch Board of Management Secretary and Poppy Appeal Organiser. She supports her County and the Women’s Section Branch in her area in the capacity of the Principal County Recruiting Officer, a County Case Worker, a County Poppy Appeal Coordinator, a County Committee Member, the Women’s Section Treasurer and a Poppy Appeal Organiser for 3 separate districts, all of which require the same level of attention.
Pat has raised £345,882.15 for the Poppy Appeal in Lee on the Solent. She has also raised £18,189.66 for HMS Sultan and £60,740.09 for Portchester from 2013 until now. Amounting to a grand total of £424,811.90 for all three areas. Her help towards beneficiaries spans from contacting the local council about housing, finding job opportunities for those who are struggling financially and providing money advice.”
The Break
Talk about a well-earned break! Le Manoir joined R2R following the AA Awards last year and welcomed Pat for her special stay in style. The man himself – Raymond Blanc – was on hand to meet Pat and swap some stories – we hear they could have chatted for hours!
Amazing stuff! Our huge thanks to Raymond Blanc and everyone at Le Manoir for making Pat’s stay so special. We’ll leave the final words to the Hidden Hero herself.
“I pay attention to every single case because I know that every case makes a difference to a beneficiary’s life. It can just be as simple as listening to them or providing financial or material aid. My experience as a volunteer makes me feel grateful for what I have in life and I’ve learned that no one has the right to be judgemental of others until they are aware of the whole story. To anyone considering becoming a volunteer I would say do it as they will never regret it and they will also meet some amazing people along the way
My stay at Le Manoir, from arrival to departure, was exceptional – I even got to meet Raymond Blanc!
Thank you all at Room for Reward for such a wonderful experience.”
Find out more about the amazing work of the Royal British Legion here: https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/
Find out more about eating and staying at Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat’saisons here: https://www.belmond.com/hotels/europe/uk/oxfordshire/belmond-le-manoir-aux-quat-saisons
