£15,000 for patriotic fund

About £15,000 was raised for Newark Patriotic Fund at a dinner and auction in the Town Hall.

The event, organised by the fund to mark the 30th anniversary of the end of the Falklands War, attracted 115 people.

Guests included the MP for Newark, Mr Patrick Mercer, and the Mayor of Newark, Mrs Irene Brown.

Three speakers spoke about their experiences of active service. They included Mr Ian Willis, a former Royal Marine commando, whose service in the Falklands included an a 84-mile yomp carrying 126lbs of kit.

Major Richard Hawkins, who was made MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours this year, spoke about his experiences in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, which he described as his most difficult challenge to date.

The final speaker was Lieutenant Tom Onion, of The Mercian Regiment, who was Mentioned in Dispatched for bravery in Afghanistan.

Second Lieutenant Onion, as he was then, ran 25 metres through Taliban bombs to grab a wounded comrade injured in a blast. He performed first aid on the Private, who lost both legs, and organised the fastest ever medical evacuation, getting him into surgery in just 21 minutes.

Mr John Coles, a member of the patriotic fund who helped to organise the event, was the auctioneer.

He said: “I was impressed with the support we had and I think everyone left feeling more knowledgeable about what life is like in the forces and what they go through.”

Mr Coles said the most popular lot, which raised £5,000, was a day with the McLaren Formula One racing team.

A raffle raised about £1,500.

The Mercian Regiment was further represented by the 2nd Battalion’s mascot, Derby the Ram, and a colour party.