The University of Winchester marked Armed Forces Day (30 June) by raising money for military personnel and their families.
Staff and students took on a time-trial assault course in teams: the activity was chosen to imitate the physical training that is usually a part of daily life in the armed forces. Other activities included a bake sale and a raffle. Information stands setting out the University’s work in support of the armed forces, including the Service Children’s Progression Alliance and the South East Reserve Forces Cadets’ Association were also on display.
All funds raised at the event went towards military charities Help for Heroes and Hounds for Heroes. The University has strong links with both charities. In 2016, the University worked with Help for Heroes to establish Heritage for Heroes, which welcomed a small group of wounded, injured or sick serving personnel on an undergraduate degree programme in Archaeology to help them to develop new skills as they recover from injuries and illness and transition from military into civilian careers. The University awarded Hounds for Heroes founder, Allen Parton, an Honorary Fellowship in 2016.
“It was fantastic to bring both students and staff together to celebrate the military community for Armed Forces Day this year,” said Colette Fletcher, Assistant Vice-Chancellor at the University of Winchester. “As an institution, we are passionate about supporting our armed forces and so we felt it was important to mark this important day in the national calendar. We hope that the money raised at this event will help support military families even further.”
The University of Winchester is dedicated to helping men and women who serve, or have served, access education and employment. It has received an Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Bronze award for being actively armed-forced friendly and it is a member of the Universities in Support of Wounded, Injured and Sick Service Personnel (UNSWIS) network.
Winchester also leads a number of initiatives to support children from military families. It works to raise aspirations and support the progression of military service children into further and higher education through its widening participation activities. The University leads the Service Children's Progression Alliance (SCiP Alliance), which is funded by the Ministry of Defence and works to improve educational outcomes for children from military families.