Going the extra mile for our troops (From The Northern Echo)

Leeanne Brownson backs 3 Rifles Swift and Bold Wristband Appeal

9:03am Monday 1st March 2010 in News

3 Rifles are in Afghanistan and casualties are part of the job. Will Roberts and Rachel Wearmouth take a look at what we need to do to support them and show our appreciation of the sacrifices they are making.

THE widow of a North-East soldier killed in Afghanistan has backed a campaign launched today by The Northern Echo to help support soldiers and their families.

Leeanne Brownson’s husband Corporal Lee Brownson, 30, was killed by a roadside bomb while on foot patrol in Sangin, Afghanistan, on January 15.

Mrs Brownson, from Bishop Auckland, urged people to back the 3 Rifles Swift and Bold Wristband Appeal, which raises money for the welfare of the battalion’s injured soldiers and the families of those killed in action.

3 Rifles, which Cpl Brownson fought in, recruit a third of their soldiers from the North-East and North Yorkshire. It was also one of the battalions which was formed from the Durham Light Infantry (DLI).

Mrs Brownson, 30, who is expecting their third child in June, said her husband was a passionate supporter of the Swift and Bold appeal.

The couple both bought wristbands at a predeployment family day in Edinburgh, poignantly, the same day as their last family photo was taken, with daughters Ginalee, ten, and Morgan, four.

Mrs Brownson, who has been praised by many people for the strength she has shown since her husband’s death, said: “I have to keep going.

“I think the campaign is a really good thing because it is specifically for 3 Rifles.

“I would definitely encourage people to support the appeal.

“There was a lot of money spent on helping injured troops who were in hospital over Christmas. It is such a good cause, and we need to boost it up.”

The 3 Rifles battle group has been stationed in Sangin, in Helmand province, since September last year.

The group, which includes some members of other battalions, has suffered 21 fatalities in Afghanistan since the conflict began, with Cpl Brownson being one of seven soldiers killed in action since the start of this year.

Serjeant Phillip Scott, originally from Richmond, North Yorkshire, died in northern Helmand province on Thursday, November 5, 2009, while 23-year-old Lance Corporal Christopher Roney, from Sunderland, was killed on December 21 2009, in Sangin.

When a soldier is injured he or she receives full pay from the Ministry of Defence, as well as compensation depending on their injuries. If a soldier is killed in action, his or her family will also receive compensation from the Government.

The 3 Rifles appeal, which is governed as a charity, has produced green plastic wristbands, which are on sale for a suggested donation of £2. The money raised goes towards providing soldiers and their families with everything they need in the aftermath of a casualty.

The money will provide a range of things, from iPods for soldiers recovering in hospital to financial help for parents and partners of soldiers who are forced to take time off work.

Because the Government only provides financial assistance to wives and husbands, the fund also helps nonmarried partners. The money can be used to buy clothes, phone cards and food.

Edward Watson, fundraiser for the 3 Rifles Wristband Appeal, said: “Financial support in the medium and long term for the families of our war casualties is now good and improving day to day.

“This is provided by the Government and charities such as the Army Benevolent Fund and Help for Heroes.

“However, 3 Rifles Battle group still strives to provide much-needed immediate and individual support and assistance for the families, girlfriends and boyfriends of the dead and wounded in those devastating first hours and days after a tragedy.

“There are also times when the spouses and children of those deployed might need help through the long periods of separation and anxiety, not to mention the needs of those soldiers adversely affected, physically or otherwise, by operations.”

Mourners at Cpl Brownson’s funeral, who were encouraged to contribute towards the appeal, donated more than £1,200 to a collection taken at St Andrew’s Church, in Bishop Auckland, where the service took place.

Collections in the streets where Cpl Brownson’s relatives and friends live, and the on Henknowle Estate, where he had recently moved with his wife and daughters, raised £777.

Wristbands have been on sale at the Bishop Auckland TA Centre, where Cpl Brownson got his first taste of military life as a teenage cadet, since the start of the battalion’s deployment.

Former 3 Rifles Quartermaster Captain Pete Hill, who is based at the centre, said demand for the wristbands was particularly high on the day of Cpl Brownson’s funeral.

“I fully support the Swift and Bold campaign because it is my former regiment, and I have a lot of friends who are serving in Afghanistan at the moment,” said Capt Hill, who left the battalion last summer, and is helping to support Mrs Brownson and Cpl Brownson’s parents.

The 3 Rifles Wristband appeal has received support from celebrities such as The Arctic Monkeys, actress Minnie Driver, actor Jean- Claude Van Damme and comedians Sid Little and Johnny Vegas.

The wristbands are now on sale at The Northern Echo’s offices in Darlington and Bishop Auckland, as well as at the DLI Museum, in Durham City.

If you are helping to raise money for the 3 Rifles Wristband appeal, let The Northern Echo know by calling 01325-505054 or emailing newsdesk @nne.co.uk The appeal has raised more than £46,000 so far.