Forces Financial > DINING OUT for the Army Benevolent Fund

DINING OUT for the Army Benevolent Fund

Following a successful bid at a military dinner auction held last year to raise funds for the Army Benevolent Fund Al Voice, Managing Director of Forces Financial, took up his prize last week and hosted a Mess Dinner at his offices in Old Sarum Park. The five course dinner was prepared and served by the catering department of 3(UK) Divisional Headquarters and Signal Regiment from a field kitchen facility erected in the car park, to an appreciative audience of eight police federation representatives.

Forces Financial specialises in providing insurance, travel and banking solutions to the Armed Forces and Police and, as Al Voice recalls, this particular auction lot immediately caught his eye:

‘Forces Financial has been a long time supporter of the ABF, and I was determined to outbid the competition on this fabulous lot as I could see it would be the perfect way of introducing one of our customers – the police – to an aspect of military life. I was sure they would be impressed, and I was right! WO2 Gary Foulger (Regimental Catering Warrant Officer) and his team recreated a regimental dinner complete with Mess silver, Divisional and Regimental Colours and Drums and gave us a superb evening. A tour of the field kitchen was an added bonus, and highlighted the challenges and work involved in delivering not only dinners like ours, but the daily business of feeding hundreds of soldiers in the field and on operations.’

Having bid £4,000 towards the dinner for the Army Benevolent Fund, Forces Financial’s guests then went on to raise a further £250 on the night and presented it to the team from the Catering Department. Accepting it on their behalf WO2 Gary Foulger pledged to donate the money to local charity, Help for Heroes.

Maurice Collins, the Chair of Thames Valley Police Federation was one of those lucky enough to attend the dinner added, “It was a privilege to attend such a great event and celebrate the achievements and heroics of the Armed Forces in support of the Army Benevolent fund. Within policing we regularly come into contact with people who make a difference to our everyday lives, my police colleagues have total respect for the men and women who so courageously serve within our armed forces across the world in these challenging times. I know that many of my colleagues across the country have actively supported the Help for Heroes charity, and I am delighted that Forces Financial are able to visibly support such worthwhile causes.”