On the pull - Uniforms join forces for Veterans Aid

Pedestrians stopped in their tracks for Veterans Aid on Sunday November 6th when 20 soldiers, sailors, airmen and police officers pulled a 15-tonne Routemaster double-decker bus from The Cenotaph to the charity’s Victoria HQ and a welcome reception at The Grosvenor Hotel.

Londoners and tourists watched in amazement as the VA-branded bus wended its way past Westminster Abbey and up Victoria Street, heralded by the stirring strains of Epping Forest Pipe Band and shouts of encouragement from parade ground professionals, including Warrant Officer Colin Sharp from the Queen’s Colour Squadron RAF Regiment.

Supplied by Stagecoach and branded by sponsors the bus was trailed by a vehicle from the London Big Bus Company to complete the one-mile route. The 60+  passengers included The Bill actor Graham Cole and two of The Royal Hospital’s three female Chelsea pensioners, Marjorie Cole and Dorothy Hughes  - who hopped off to  ‘help pull the bus’ half way down Victoria Street.

“I haven’t had so much fun for ages” said Marjorie.

HMS Westminster’s Lt Cdr Richard Carthew and colleagues represented the RN element and soldiers (Regular and TA) stood shoulder to shoulder with police officers to complete the haul.

Sgt Dave Johns of the Waltham Forest Police Safer Transport Team, who helped organise the event and heave the bus, said: "It was physically quite demanding, you can feel the rope pushing down on your shoulder. More than anything we wanted to bring attention to Veterans Aid. It's a great cause."

Folk duo Northfield (Tim Widdup and James Fitzgerald) have pledged all profits from their latest single, Make it Happen, to the charity and band member ‘PC’ Fitzgerald also helped pull the bus. The song is available on iTunes and every download generates a  50p donation to VA.

Dr Hugh Milroy, chief executive of Veterans Aid, said, "It's truly stunning and very humbling. Our work with homeless veterans and those in crisis is helped by an excellent working relationship with the Metropolitan Police and the ethos of people who wear, or have worn, a uniform standing by one another is what we are all about.”

It’s no coincidence that the latest VA/TTV film is called Stand By Me, again featuring the musical talents of Northfield and a series of light-hearted cameos from Sir Terry Wogan, the Lord Mayor of Westminster, a variety of supporters and VA’s own people. The film can be found on www.veterans-aid.net and will hopefully be introduced to serving personnel via SSVC/BFBS whose staff feature in it.

The lyrics of Stand By Me resonate with who we are and what we do,” said Dr Milroy. The film was made as a tribute to some of the people who make our work possible and we are delighted to have a ‘bespoke’ version of this wonderful song, by Northfield. So much of what is written about the veterans’ world is gloomy and we want people to know that it needn’t be. Veterans Aid is a place of hope where military humour and support are much in evidence.”

The Bus Pull was organised to raise awareness as well as funding and would not have been possible without the  sponsorship of Diamond Build, Insight Systems, Victoria Business Improvement District and Marlow Ropes. VA’s neighbour, The Grosvenor Hotel, provided a venue to screen Stand By Me and outstanding hospitality to all who took part in the event. Thanks are due also to the St John Ambulance staff who supported the event.