The Trustees
Alan Rowe MBE
Baton founder and passionate about the due support for our forces and their families, Alan is also proud to be a SSAFA Devon VP, as the Baton works closely with the SSAFA voluntary caseworkers who do a marvellous job of finding much needed support.
Alan has had many friends in the forces since the early 70’s and so gained an appreciation of contemporary forces issues, his profession is Barbering beginning in 1967.
For over 50 years Alan has looked into a mirror into the eyes of men with issues from WW1, WW2, Korea and many of the now forgotten conflicts our forces have been involved in, gradually a position of trust with his customers meant that many personal issues (often very emotionally) were discussed – absorbing this over the years gave Alan the resolve to try and make a difference.
Alan is humbled and truly grateful for the support given him by friends from the start of the Baton’s cause, without their belief in the idea of the Baton being as true a charity as possible, little would have been achieved.
Pauline Rowe
Married to founder Alan, Pauline is an integral part of the Baton’s history, from the Baton’s inception Pauline has worked incredibly hard behind the scenes managing the administration and organisation of many various events, without her input the Baton wouldn’t be where it is today.
Pauline’s father Peter served in the Fleet Air Arm during WW2 as a result Pauline has witnessed many issues returning forces cope with, especially the emotional effects.
Paul Watson
Paul grew up in a military family and joined the Army, completing two combat tours of the Balkans. Leaving the Army Paul trained to be a mental health nurse and worked with military children and young people. Paul is now a lecturer in Mental Health nursing at Northumbria University, undertaking a PhD focusing young carers of veterans with mental health issues.
Paul has written for Members of Parliament and was pivotal in instigating the first Department of Health pathway for military families for Health Visitors and School Nurses.
Paul’s current work in partnership with the Northern Hub for Military and Veteran families research (at Northumbria University), SSOP and The Baton are developing the blue print for emotional health and well-being services of children and young people whose parents have PTSD.
Barry Gray
Barry Gray (Baz) is a modern-day explorer and adventurer specialising in extreme cold climates. Barry is currently planning the Solo Unsupported and Unassisted crossing of the Antarctic continent from Coast to Coast in 2018, a journey still yet to be completed, if successful, this will be a world first.
Barry was always an adventurous spirit growing up, very much the outdoor type. He enjoyed almost every type of sport and excelled in quite a few of them. His true-life adventure started as a 16-year-old when he applied to join the Royal Marine Commandos. Before he reached his eighteenth birthday he had completed the world’s toughest military basic training course and took his place amongst the UK’s finest soldiers.
The Royal Marines are the UK’s specialists in Mountain and Cold Weather training. All Royal Marines go through this training but it’s a unique and special group of marines that deliver the training, they are known as the Mountain Leader Branch. Barry applied for the gruelling and extremely challenging course in 1998 and was a fully trained Mountain Leader instructor 10 months later. Barry then went on to become the Chief Instructor of this very special group in 2007.
Barry’s career has seen him deployed on Operational tours to Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. As a Royal Marine and Mountain Leader he has travelled the globe including the Himalayas, Norway, European Alps, The Andes, USA, Oman, Brunei to name but a few.
Barry decided to leave the Royal Marines in December 2016 after 26 years, achieving the rank of Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM). His aim is now very much the pursuit of his dream to walk across Antarctica and then open and run his own extreme expedition school.
Amongst his passions are polar history, especially the heroic age, and in 2013 he took part in the successful Shackleton Epic expedition in which they authentically re-enacted Shackleton’s 1916 escape from Elephant Island and crossing of South Georgia. One of the most remarkable Survival stories ever told. The journey can be seen as a three-part documentary on Discovery Channel called “Shackleton Death or Glory”
Barry is married to Claire and has three children Steven, George and Mia. They live on the edge of Dartmoor near Tavistock.
