On the 5 July 2022 both members and friends of the Mid Sussex Branch were invited to Worthing Pier by the London Taxi Drivers Charity for Military Veterans. Over 200 veterans came down to Worthing in 60 London taxis, this being their first outing since lockdown. The Charity have been doing this since 1948, where the veterans were given a choice of beer or wine, a fish and chip lunch followed by strawberries and cream and tea or coffee afterwards.
In the afternoon a talk was given by Darren ‘Swifty’ Swift, a former Green jacket, who had served as a dog handler in Northern Ireland. ‘Swifty’ had started his Army career measuring 6′ 2″ tall, now he is 4′ tall and with only three fingers on his right hand thanks to an IRA bomb that exploded one night in May 1991 killing his companion. His dog was awarded the PDSA medal of bravery and today Swifty, who is also a snow board instructor for the British Olympic team, gives talks in schools about how to get on in life after a life changing injury such as his. Quite rightly he was given a standing ovation and a charity raffle raised over a thousand pounds.
