In association with the Normandy Veterans Association

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In association with the Normandy Veterans Association



http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?t=9905

It is now our turn.

As of today, the HMVF Once More Onto The Beach campaign is launched. Everything is now in please to be a part of history that we can help write.

The whole plan is on the Front Page and have added some of it here too. Bodge Deep has done an amazing job with the banner and should be justly proud of it. Artist Rifles is busy behind the scenes too and will help drive this forward. You can get to the article, the methods of payment by clicking on the campaign that you will see throughout the site.

I have some case studies to go up as well and just awaiting the images from the NVA.


Any question at all then please just let me know - here is the article/news/update....

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The HMVF Once More Onto The Beach campaign in association with the Normandy Veterans Association.


The Final Battle - it is now our turn.

“Help us make one last journey to our D-Day beaches in honour of our fallen”, plead veterans.

First the back ground to this campaign and then how to make payment and some case studies

The Normandy Veterans Association, or NVA for short, wants to raise £300,000. This would enable them to send at least 1000 veterans back to the invasion beaches for the 65th anniversary of D-Day, June 6th 2009. They want to be able to stand along side their fellow US and Canadian brothers in arms. For most this will be their last time as age and health is taking its toll.

You might think the British government would pay for our war heroes to return, after all, they helped save the free world? Unfortunately and sadly this is not the case. The USA and Canadian governments have promised funding for their veterans to return. They are paying for them to travel thousands of miles. The round trip from New York to Paris is at least 7,270 miles. If coming from the west coast of the USA then it is an 11,332 round trip.

The British government is refusing to pay for veterans to cross, what is in some cases just 24 miles of water to France.

So what does that have to do with HMVF?
Well actually it has everything to do with us – because we are going to help raise money for the NVA. We are going to be responsible for getting some of our men back there.

This is started with a post on the HMVF forum from Neil Plunkett (Artist’s Rifles). Neil posted up about the NVA trying to raise £300,000 for the veterans. On June the 6th this year my good lady bought me a newspaper because on the front page was this story. I had pinned it to the beam thinking that we must do something about this. When Neil posted up a newsletter from the NVA regarding the campaign then the fuse was lit.

I contact the NVA and said that we would want to be part of their campaign and how can we help. They were more than happy to hear from us and wanted our help. I was very aware that it would be important to me to have HMVF working in association with the NVA. It is importance to give HMVF’s campaign credence and credibility. So I have discussed everything with the NVA. We have agreed upon and arranged all payments options and protocols. The HMVF Once More Onto The Beach banner and logo has been more than approved and is something to be proud of.

I have told the NVA that HMVF is going to raise at least £4000, which will enable 10 of our men to return for the 65th.


Why are we doing this?

Because we can and because it is the right thing to do. Ironically our hobby is based on machines that were part of the death and destruction that these men went through. This hobby needs to help with the final battle. This is something that we can all be proud of; this is giving something back. Yes there are other charities that we all give to, but I am not asking you to change that. I am simply asking that we do this last thing for these men. We will be responsible for getting at least ten veterans to Normandy, that is pretty profound. We can talk to these men and will be able to meet them on the beaches and look them in the eye. This is a very special campaign and will be a very moving experience.

This is how we are going raise our target of £4000.

I am going to ask you all for a donation. I am personally donating £400 – that is our first veteran returning to Normandy. Nine left…

I am committed to this and I’ll give you my word that I will phone, write, email or meet every single company in our hobby that I can think of for a donation. I won’t rest until we have hit our target – once we have reached this, I will raise the game. It is time to kiss egos goodbye.

Every company that makes a donation we will list them and they will have their company banner on the supporters page. This will click through to their website if they have one.

I do not expect everyone to match me with £400 as in true HMVF style there is no pressure, no right or wrong, no big stick. Just do what you can. Even if you have something that you can sell or auction to a fellow member then let’s do it. Every pound is going to make a difference. Don’t take your MV for a weekend – the money you would spend on fuel can be sent for the campaign. Small things make a big difference. Think about that.

Other ways you can help.

Tell everyone you know and ask them for a donation. You do not have to be a member of HMVF to help – remember what I said earlier, kiss those egos goodbye. If you belong to a group, trust, association then tell everyone about it at your next meeting. If you belong to other forums then ask the Admin there if you could post up some details about it – even better, ask them if they can mention it in their newsletters. Drop a line to your local newspaper or send me their details and I will call them myself. I will have some fliers made to hand out at shows – I will send you some. Speak to your local radio station - get on the news. If you sell your vehicle then be brave and donate £50 or what you can afford to the campaign.

Tell me anyone you think I should speak to and I will call them.

OK, how do I make a donation?
HMVF and the NVA have worked out the best way to make payment so that we cover all avenues. We can accept cheques, bank transfer, cash and PayPal. We need to make sure that all payments have the reference of HMVF on them so that we can track all payments made. I can send everyone receipts if you need them for your records or for your accountant. Please see below for payment options:

Cheque:

Payable to - Normandy Veterans Assocation
Sent to –

HMVF Campaign
Jack Beckett.
Pathfinder Distribution Ltd
Unit 9 Luccombe Business Centre
Milton Abbas
Blandford
Dorset
DT11 0BD

I will then forward these onto the NVA.


Bank Transfer direct to the NVA account:

Account: 73578983
Sort: 60 16 03
Name: Normandy Veterans Association

Please send me a note/email letting me know what you have sent so that I can add it to the rolling total.


Cash – with your full name and address to:

HMVF Campaign
Jack Beckett
Pathfinder Distribution Ltd
Unit 9 Luccombe Business Centre
Milton Abbas
Blandford
Dorset
DT11 0BD

You can download a Gift Aid Form here: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/appendix_b1.pdf
Please return it to Jack Beckett.

PayPal:

jack@hmvf.co.uk


The NVA do not have a PayPal account and asked if we could use ours. We then forward payment to their account every time we have over £50 in the account. Please be aware that PayPal will take a fee from your donation of around 3%. I am speaking to them to see if we can get this waived.


We will have a running total as we go so please keep checking back and we will be discussing it in full on the forum. A massive thank you goes to Rupert Fox (Bodge Deep) who designed the Once More Onto The Beach banner – the chairman of the NVA fell in love with it, thanks Roop.


My full contact details are below if you would like to discuss anything about the campaign or can help in any way:

Jack Beckett.
Pathfinder Distribution Ltd
Unit 9 Luccombe Business Centre
Milton Abbas
Blandford
Dorset
DT11 0BD

T - 01258 880298
E - info@pathfinderdistribution.com


OK, lets go... lets do our best, something to be proud of - let gets to work and get at least ten good men Once More Onto The Beach.

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We have now added a Paypal Donate Button to the front page of HMVF www.hmvf.co.uk we have also added a running total which will updated regularly.

This appeal really needs your support no matter how small, Thank You.

Lee
HMVF