(Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament)

There will be a celebratory dinner hosted by the Royal Marines section of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Armed Forces.

The dinner will be held at the House of Commons on 21st March and the Chairman, Oliver Colvile MP has said that he would be delighted if Alan could attend the dinner and say a few words about The Baton.

To be invited to attend is regarded as a great privilege by all at the Baton.

Help for Heroes, have joined many other lovely folks in wanting to carry the Baton and its message this coming year.

Last year David King carried the Baton on the Help for Heroes Big Battlefield Bike Ride, please have a look at David’s brilliant account of his ride, including photos here.

David is featured with fellow riders from other countries, carrying and holding the Baton throughout the ride, including all the emotional memorial stops, this video is still available from the Help for Heroes online shop.

The Help for Heroes outline plan is to get the Baton and its message to as many interesting places worldwide, at the same time recording its journey through a dedicated diary with our injured and Help for heroes challenges participants, they will all be taking part in an assortment of challenges and events.

This is an amazing attempt by Mark who will have the Baton with him during a World Record attempt that will take every ounce of his endurance to achieve, please look at his web site to learn more about Mark and this incredible venture in aid of VIA an organisation that is giving such invaluable practical help.

Mark’s dive will commence June 18 2012 at 10:00hrs.  The current record is 100 hrs (4 days and 4 hrs) the dive will be done in scuba gear, i.e. nothing can be attached to him that goes back to the surface.

Want to join him?

If you want to join Mark or have underwater ideas to offer to help the time go by and to keep him company, then please contact him through his website.

Dive Party

On June 3oth after the dive attempt, there will be a fabulous party in celebration of Mark’s effort at a Brighton night club, as with the dive attempt all money raised on the night will go to VIA.  Please click here to visit the Party website and get involved.

To watch this moving and very honest interview please click here.

To read more about the Run please click here.

This photo of the Munro Mission team at the top of their final Munro with the baton!

It was taken at 1530 on Sunday 18th Sept – 48 days, 6 hours and 56 minutes after the team started this epic challenge of summiting all of the 283 Scottish Munros (mountains over 3,000 feet) The team dedicated every Munro they climbed to servicemen and women who have lost their lives in Afghanistan over the past 10 years – please click here to find out more about DecAid.

Please think for a moment, they set out to cover the 1600 miles using bicycles and kayaks but mainly on foot, requiring them to cover around 36 miles and summit 6 Munros every day for 49 consecutive days.

What an amazing feat and a fabulous example of the youth of our country.

To read all about this fantastic journey please click here.

On Thurs 15th Sept following 2 day’s of outward bounds activities a group of lads and staff from Hasler Coy set out to climb Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales at 1085 metres 3,560ft above sea level.

The team took with them ‘The Baton’ one of the two that went to the Himalayas with the Khumbu Challenge 2010 team, which was presented to Hasler Coy by the founder of The Baton, Alan Rowe MBE, hopefully as a reminder that society had not forgotten them and as the Baton’s message closes “out of sight will never be out of mind”.

Please consider for a moment….Its reckoned that a typical walk for fit people would take 5 to 6 hours up and down, slower people may take quite a bit longer.

The climb took the group 2hrs 20 mins to complete but owing to the limitations of some of the lads took 3hrs+ return to the vehicles.

This was a huge achievement for many of these lads who are recovering from long term complex injuries and illnesses, surely the epitome of the word Fortitude and without doubt an inspiration to us all.

To add to the team the Hasler Coy Mascot Hope Rescue Dog ‘Mne Roly’ (centre of the photo) also achieved greatness.  Mne Roly has significant physical difficulties (disfigured jaw and hip dysplasia) so this was a massive achievement for him as well.

Photo courtesy of Belinda Bennett Midweek Herald

Alan is seen in the photograph above with Michael Pentreath (left), of the Army Benevolent Fund and Company Sergeant Major Ryan Braunton-Turner of the Honiton detachment Devon Army Cadets.

Michael Pentreath is accepting the £1,000 cheque from the Baton on behalf of the ABF who’s present web page incidentally is featuring Ben Parkinson, the courageous Para who with his mothers incredible help and determination is coping with his injuries epitomising the Baton’s cause which highlights the legacy of armed service engagement for the families concerned for their lifetime!

Alan has had the privilege of meeting Ben and his mum on several occasions and is ever in awe of their fortitude in such difficult circumstances, despite his injuries Ben is always up for a joke and a laugh, if you have time please read his story on the ABF web site here.

Ben Parkinson and Sir Ranulph Fiennes with the Baton.

Ryan Braunton-Turner asked to carry the Baton on his trip to the Menin Gate which obviously evoked varied emotions, the write up below from his mother and senior officer describes his trip.

“Attached is a picture of Serjeant Major Ryan Braunton-Turner at the Menin Gate Memorial.  He went with other Senior Army Cadets from “A” Company (Exeter & East Devon) to visit the battlefields and war graves around Ypres is Belgium.

The highlight of the trip was taking part in the 28,567th Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial. The cadets had the honour of marching in the ceremony and laying a wreath.  On his trip Ryan visited many war grave cemeteries, including Tyne Cot and Essex Farm Cemetery.

He also visited Hill 62 which has a reconstruction of trenches used in the war.  Whilst on the trip Ryan got an understanding of the sacrifice soldiers made during the war, and could also see first hand what some of the living conditions would of been like for them in the trenches.

Ryan said that taking part in the Menin Gate Parade was something that he will remember forever.  He also said that seeing some of the ages of the soldiers on the grave stones was quite hard to take in as some of them were younger than him, and he is only 18.”

Helen Braunton-Turner

Alan was at Castaway House in Portsmouth with trustee Jeremy Clark presenting the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust‘s exceptionally dedicated  board with £1,000.  Alan commented that “the day was extremely enlightening and the hospitality perfect!”.

Seen in the photograph is Phil Shuttleworth, Vice President of the RNBT accepting the cheque from Alan, Sarah Vanes, a member of the RNBT’s Grants Committee is holding the Baton.

A fantastic article has been written about the Baton by the Exeter Express and Echo, the full article can be read here.

“The baton is there for anyone who believes in it to do something with it.”