THIS IS THE FULL STORY.  

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THE PRINCESS OF WALES’S ROYAL REGIMENT
The County Regiment of Surrey, Kent, Sussex, Middlesex and Hampshire
Colonel in Chief: Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark?Charity Number 1024418
?VETERANS’ HORTICULTURAL REHABILITATION, SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY CENTRE

Introduction
Regrettably, the Regiment has seen a marked increase in the number of mental health cases (some sadly have resulted in suicide – six since 2018), as well as receiving an increased number of veterans requesting assistance. We researched ways in which we could support veterans and believe that the use of horticulture, tied into social and community would be the most effective. The Queen’s Regimental Association (QRA), a forebear regiment of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (PWRR), requested from the Trustees of the PWRR Benevolent Fund (PWRRBF) an investment to purchase a plot of land to establish a ‘Veterans’ Horticultural Rehabilitation, Social and Community Centre’ near Faversham. The investment will be to the benefit of the wider Regimental family but, in the immediate future, of the Queen’s Regiment Riders Association (QRRA) which has volunteered to take the QRA lead on the project. This project was approved by the Trustees in May 2019 and the land was purchased. The project has won the backing of the Armed Forces Covenant Fund.

The horticultural side of the initiative (a proven way to help in dealing with mental health problems) has been supported by local farmers, one of whom purchased a section of land enabling us to complete the purchase. To date over 300 trees and shrubs have been planted with another 400 to go. The social and community element will be developed using the QRRA as the base providing a place where veterans can meet, exchange stories of their service and still feel part of the regimental family while also engaging with the local community.

This project directly supports the aims of the Regiment’s Benevolent Fund: ‘To relieve hardship or distress of former and serving members of the Regiment or former members of the forebear regiments and their dependents’.

Purchase of land and planning
The purchase of the land is now complete, and the planning has been supported by local residents and approved by Swale Borough Council.

The Build
The QRRA have sufficient construction expertise within the branch to erect the building and indeed the construction of the building is seen as part of the project. The build has continued throughout the pandemic and great progress has been made and the roof is about to be put on

Costs
Around a £210K are calculated to be needed in materials. It is intended that as this will be a self-build that there will be minimal labour costs. To date £130K has already been raised but we need to raise a further £80K to complete the build start to work with the veterans who need our help. Any offer of assistance either in sponsorship or provision of materials would be most gratefully received and acknowledged when the Centre is completed. Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/pwrr-veterans-rehabilitation-social-and-community-centre

Contact Details
For further details please contact:
Major (Retd) Alasdair Goulden
Project Manager ?Email: queensregimentassociation@gmail.com
Tel: 0771 484 4069

THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU ARE ABLE TO GIVE