TAXI CHARITY FOR MILITARY VETERANS

Frances Wyhowska Taxi Charity Ambassador Frances was educated at St Paul's Girls' School in London and has an MA (Hons) from Oxford University where she read music at St. Catherine's College. For many years she was a director of Christie's Auctioneers in St. James's specialising in musical instruments. From 1996 to 2014, she was a partner and director of J & A Beare Ltd, international dealers in stringed instruments and bows. She was a founding trustee of the Abbado Trust which gives loans to young professional musicians wishing to upgrade their instruments. Frances is also a member of the government’s Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee. She is proud to have been involved with the Taxi Charity since 2015, and became an ambassador for the charity in September 2023. VIEW ALL AMBASSADORS Twitter: @FWyhowska

Veteran Trips In addition to our annual veterans' outing to Worthing , we provide trips abroad, as well as regular outings, entertainment and lunches for our war veterans. Each year, we escort veterans to the Netherlands , joining the Dutch people in their liberation celebrations, and to Normandy for the D-Day commemorations. ​ We also organise an annual Christmas lunch for the veterans, which is held at Millwall Football Club. ​ If you are a veteran or a family member of veteran, who would like to be included on future outings and trips, please contact us . Our Annual Trip To Worthing Since 1948, the Taxi Charity has organised an annual outing for its veterans to the seaside town of Worthing. This trip is usually the main event for the charity every year and involves a lot of organisation. We normally have at least 100 taxis involved, picking up veterans from various parts of London and the suburbs, including the Royal Hospital Chelsea, Headley Court and other military care homes. We first make our way to South Holmwood Village in Surrey for around 10am, where the veterans are treated to homemade sandwiches, cakes and refreshments. Then at about 11:30am, we set off in convoy for Worthing. Worthing Worthing Civic Centre plays host to the event which includes a meal and speeches from the Mayor/ Mayoress of Worthing and our VIP guest, which in the past have included Dame Vera Lynn, DBE, LLD, MMUS, Joanna Lumley, OBE, FRGS and Colonel Stuart Tootal, DSO, OBE. The meal and speeches are followed by entertainment for the veterans and their families. Everybody is usually back in the taxis by 6pm, then it's back to London, stopping again in South Holmwood Village if the veterans have the energy for a night cap. We'd like to say a big thank you to all the taxi drivers, South Holmwood Village and Worthing Borough Council for your continued support every year. THANK YOU EVERYONE!

Mylton Burden Taxi Charity Ambassador Mylton Burden began his career with the London Ambulance Service as a technician and is now a business support manager. He has been supporting the Taxi Charity’s medical team on trips to Normandy and the Netherlands as well as within the UK since 2021. Mylton became an ambassador for the charity in October 2024 and said: "It is an absolute privilege to be asked to become an ambassador for this very special charity. I was originally asked by my colleague Abbie to help her on a Taxi Charity trip in 2021 and I could never have imagined what a pleasure it would be to join this 'charity family' on a regular basis. There is a wonderful sense of camaraderie between the drivers, the volunteers and the veterans, and I have made so many new friends. To hear the veterans share their stories is an honour, and volunteering to support them is my way of giving something back to this very special generation." VIEW ALL AMBASSADORS

Treasurer Sebastian Philp Sebastian's working life started as a printer but at the age of 19, he started doing the Knowledge and passed out at the age 22. He has been a cab driver ever since. ​ His charity work with the Taxi Charity started in 2018 when he did his first trip to Normandy. He was bowled over by what he saw the charity do and when he was asked to join the committee, he jumped at the chance to be more involved. ​ He became treasurer of the Taxi Charity in 2019. In 2021, he undertook the Three Peaks Challenge with another volunteer cab driver and raised £4,000; and in September 2022, he took part in the Market Garden Challenge in the Netherlands with fellow volunteer, Chris Wilmott, raising over £2,000. ​ Sebastian is interested in many different sports, as well as military history. FULL LIST OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Secretary Ian Parsons Ian was born in Park Royal in 1956 and grew up in Ealing and Harrow. He received his Green Badge in September 1989. He is a Freeman of the City of London and a Member of the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers. In 2014, Ian became a volunteer driver for the Taxi Charity, joined the Taxi Charity committee in January 2015, was vice chairman between 2016 and 2019, and chairman between 2019 and 2022. He became of Secretary in 2024. ​ ​A lifelong admirer of Muhammad Ali, Ian got to know the boxer during Ali’s many visits to London in the 80s and early 90s. FULL LIST OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS ianparsons@taxicharity.org

ANNUAL WORTHING OUTING Since 1948, the Taxi Charity has organised an annual outing for its veterans to the seaside town of Worthing. This trip is usually the main event for the charity every year and involves a lot of organisation. We normally have at least 100 taxis involved, picking up veterans from various parts of London and the suburbs, including the Royal Hospital Chelsea, Headley Court and other military care homes. We first make our way to South Holmwood Village in Surrey for around 10am, where the veterans are treated to homemade sandwiches, cakes and refreshments. Then at about 11:30am, we set off in convoy for Worthing. Worthing Civic Centre plays host to the event which includes a meal and speeches from the Mayor/Mayoress of Worthing and our VIP guest, which in the past have included Dame Vera Lynn, DBE, LLD, MMUS, Joanna Lumley, OBE, FRGS and Colonel Stuart Tootal, DSO, OBE. The meal and speeches are followed by entertainment for the veterans and their families. Everybody is usually back in the taxis by 6pm, then it's back to London, stopping again in South Holmwood Village if the veterans have the energy for a night cap. We'd like to say a big thank you to all the taxi drivers, South Holmwood Village and Worthing Borough Council for your continued support every year. THANK YOU EVERYONE! Ice-creams at Worthing Veterans enjoy the Worthing outing

Johnny Gallagher Taxi Charity Ambassador London based entrepreneur and businessman, Johnny Gallagher, became a Taxi Charity ambassador in March 2023. Johnny is a great supporter of the charity and really enjoys meeting the veterans and hearing their stories. In 2022, he very generously paid for the charity’s Christmas party . In 2023, Johnny paid for an event at the Heritage Hangar at Biggin Hill for WWII veterans. During the event Chelsea Pensioner Mike Smith could not believe it when he heard that Johnny had paid for him to go up in a Spitfire. ​ At the 2023 Christmas party, Johnny surprised guests with two poems he had commissioned from Irish poet and painter, John Armstrong, who attended to read the poems to the 250 guests. ​ Growing up in Essex with a single mum and a sister, Johnny had his first part-time job aged 16 and left school at 18 to join a drainage company where he worked 12 hours a day for £50. He went on to start five businesses and after multiple failures had a breakthrough and made his first million pounds when he was 23. Johnny owns the leading UK vitamin company, Starpowa. VIEW ALL AMBASSADORS

Committee Member Simon Hawes Simon was born in 1966 and has been a London taxi driver since 2004. He became a volunteer driver for the Taxi Charity in 2012 and says, "I had just finished reading the Cornelius Ryan book, A Bridge Too Far, when I saw that the charity needed a couple of drivers for a trip to Arnhem. I volunteered and immediately became hooked on doing what I can to help." He is proud to have been a Taxi Charity committee member since January 2022. When asked what being part of the charity means to him Simon said, "I love being able to give something back to veterans who have given so much to the country and to provide support for them to get the maximum benefit from our trips." Simon has been married to Karen since 1996 and they have a daughter. His hobbies include watching Leeds United, gardening, travelling and red wine. He has recently taken up running (badly) and is looking to increase the distances he runs (watch this space)... FULL LIST OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Theresa Rouse Taxi Charity Ambassador Theresea Rouse was born and went to school in Chiswick, West London. When she got married in 1977 to Steve they moved to Chingford where they lived for 30 years. They now live in Theydon Bois in Essex - a traditional village, surrounded by Epping Forest, with a great community, which is also on the Central Line! Before retirement, Theresa was a Registered General Nurse for all of her 35 year career. She trained and worked at Westminster Hospital, then after marrying, worked at North Middlesex Hospital on a cardio thoracic ward. ​ After a break having a family, she returned to nursing at her local hospital on care of the elderly and young disabled wards. For the last 10 years of her career, she worked on a Palliative Care Unit as a Senior Staff nurse which although was tough, was also incredibly rewarding. For several years after retirement from nursing, Theresa worked as a First Aid at Work Assessor for an Ambulance service. Theresa said, “We have two grown up children and six grandchildren who fill our lives with great joy and keep me pretty busy! I try to keep fit by going to Pilates classes and luckily love walking, especially in the forest. Gardening is my great passion and a great way to unwind. I have also joined a local class to learn flower arranging. I love going to the theatre whenever possible and am also a member of a book club. Theresa and Steve have been friends with Taxi Charity volunteers, Dick and Susy Goodwin, for many years and through them first heard about the work of the charity. Theresa continued, "Due to the increasing ages and needs of some the veterans, Dick felt that the services of a first aid team on the trips would be a good idea and asked Steve and I if we would be interested in taking on this role. My first trip was in May 2019 where we shared a taxi to the Netherlands with WWII veteran Ron Johnson and his lovely daughter, Valerie." "I have had wonderful experiences getting to know the veterans, their companions and, of course, our wonderful drivers on the trips. Hearing the veterans' amazing stories first hand, living history, has been such an education. The gratitude shown in the Netherlands and France to the veterans has been overwhelming at times." “It was also a privilege to be able to assist not only when we had first aid situations to deal with, but with day-to-day health problems that tend to crop up on the trips and to be a listening ear. When it is known you have been a nurse people tend to confide in you. Once a nurse... always a nurse!” “Having been on numerous trips now, it is a great privilege to be part of such a wonderful, diverse team. It really has become a family with the same values and commitment to making these trips possible. I feel proud to be involved and feel it has truly enriched my life." VIEW ALL AMBASSADORS

Steve Rouse Taxi Charity Ambassador Steve Rouse was born in Walthamstow, East London, moving to Chingford when he was 17, at around the time he became a police cadet. He met his future wife Theresa when he was 22 (at a 999 disco!) and they married in 1977, settled in Chingford, and raised their family. More recently Steve and Theresa moved to Theydon Bois in Essex. Steve served in the Met. Police for 31 years. Initially posted to the West End in 1972, he later did a short spell with the Diplomatic Protection Group before joining The Mounted Branch in 1977. The greater part of his service was spent as the Mounted Sergeant at Great Scotland Yard, where he took a particular interest in the many ceremonial events, liaising and training with the Household Cavalry, the Foot Guards and the Royal Mews on matters of security and safety. During this time, he trained and qualified as a Close Protection Officer, where he had the privilege of providing close protection to senior members of the royal family on many ceremonial events and parades. On retiring from the Met Police, Steve worked, for a short time, as a support worker for young people in secure and non-secure environments, police stations, courts and residential settings. Whilst employed with the care company, he was asked if he would consider working for an ambulance service. He happily took up this offer and began working in this new role, qualifying as an Emergency Medical Technician in 2009. Steve is a volunteer with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and cares for several CWGC graves and headstones in Chingford Cemetery. He is also a Road Safety Advisor for the British Horse Society and is involved in the educating of drivers and riders in the Epping Forest area. Steve says the following of the Taxi Charity: “In May 2019, Dick Goodwin asked if we would be willing to join a planned trip to the Netherlands, as 'First Aiders'. Our driver was Peter Carey and we were fortunate to spend the week sharing transport with the wonderful WWII veteran Ron Johnson and his daughter, Valerie. That week was, to me, like a real-life history lesson, taught by the most qualified tutor in the world. Whilst being part of the medical team has always been my primary role, I have been fortunate to have been asked to be a 'companion' on two occasions. In 2019, I was companion to WWII veteran Raymond Whitwell and on the recent D-Day 80 trip, to Bill Lawson. Both amazing characters with a wicked sense of humour. We shared many laughs and a few tears too. For me, the most enjoyable part of the trips is meeting the veterans once more, hearing their stories, their jokes and just finding out more about them. If we can make the trip more enjoyable for them by offering our support or medical care, that is very rewarding. Most times, the smiles on their faces make it all worthwhile! The drivers are also very special people and it has been a joy to meet and become friends with so many of them." VIEW ALL AMBASSADORS

Abbie Kennedy Taxi Charity Ambassador Abbie is a paramedic with the London Ambulance Service and uses her holiday days to support the Taxi Charity as part of its medical team on trips to the Netherlands and Normandy, as well as for trips across the UK. ​ Abbie first joined the charity on a trip in September 2021 to the Netherlands and has been an important part of the charity’s team ever since. Abbie was asked to become an ambassador in October 2024 and said: "I had always wanted to support a charity and when I was asked to help the Taxi Charity, I had no hesitation in saying yes. I love history and having the opportunity to meet the men and women who served in WWII and other conflicts has made the things I learnt at school come alive. I enjoy spending time with the veterans, volunteers and drivers, and helping. It is a pleasure to join the charity at events and to have been asked to become an ambassador has made me so very proud." VIEW ALL AMBASSADORS

RETURN OF THE LIBERATORS 2015 On 2 May 2015, 80 volunteer London taxi drivers took 160+ WWII veterans to the Netherlands, joining the Dutch people in their liberation celebrations. Click here to view their full itinerary . You can view the buzz it created on Twitter: #returnoftheliberators Here are a few clips from the documentary 'Return of the Liberators', produced for us by our filmmaker-in-residence , working in collaboration with Hogarth and Ogilvy, and Creation Company Pictures. This film has been presented to the veterans and volunteer drivers on a commemorative DVD. Fingers crossed it will be developed further for a broader audience. Here we are with our team of collectors - mostly World War II veterans - at Blackfriars Station in London, raising funds for our trip to The Netherlands in 2015. Our Vice President Dick Goodwin fills us in on some of the background. We don't know why he's called Fast Eddie but our Vice President Eddie Hillery is organiser-in-chief of our collectors. Here he is talking about our wonderful collectors, and occasionally breaking into song (something he does with great regularity.) Jim Moore is a London Cabbie who has been driving for the Taxi Charity for over 20 years. Here he is talking about why he volunteers for the charity. Des Paige is a World War II veteran who served in Holland during the war. Here he is is in a London taxi in The Netherlands, with friend Jack, talking about the trip, and what he thinks about giving cabbies a tip. We get quite a lot of attention when we take the veterans to The Netherlands. Here are a few clips from Dutch TV during our Return of the Liberators trip in 2015. Alan 'Ossie' Osbourne is one of our great London cabbies. Here he is talking about why he loves taking the war veterans on our charity trips. There's often a lot of singing when the charity get together with the war veterans... especially if there are a few beers involved. Often our drivers become quite close to the war veterans they take on trips. Here is one of our long-standing drivers, David Webb, talking about the veteran he has taken to The Netherlands several times, Stan Daines. We also hear Stan talking about the Taxi Charity. More singing war veterans! This pair always end up singing Geordie folk song, 'The Blaydon Races', whenever we're in the pub. We don't know why. ​ ​ Here is World War II veteran Fred Glover in a reflective mood during our Return of the Liberators trip in 2015, when the veterans took part in commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of The Netherlands. ​ ​ Click here to visit our YouTube channel to view more videos from our Netherlands Trip in 2015 .

Safeguarding Officer Keely Allen Keely initially began helping the Taxi Charity from a distance when her partner Scott was a volunteer driver, and in 2022, she was asked if she might consider supporting veterans who didn’t have companions and those who needed help with personal care on trips. She was delighted to say yes and a week later she was in the Netherlands! Since then, she has visited the Netherlands and Normandy many times. Her biggest highlight so far has been laying a wreath on behalf of the Taxi Charity at the Airborne War Cemetery in Oosterbeek, in the presence of The Princess Royal on the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden. "I cried when I was asked to join the committee in October 2024. I told my parents, and they cried, too. I honestly love this charity and everything it stands for. I love everyone involved, here and overseas - we're like one big family. "I do the best I can to fundraise for the charity. In 2023, I raised just over £1,000 walking the 25km London Bridges Challenge and my local youth football club are now supporting the Taxi Charity, too. I spread the word as much as I can as we rely totally on donations and I have plans to raise even more money. "I seem to form bonds easily with our veterans and love spending time with them. I have a very positive and upbeat outlook on life and am full of enthusiasm. I'm known for "you'll hear me before you see me", and when you see me, I'll be wearing my purple charity t-shirt with pride. I'm very honoured and grateful to be a part of this charity." keelyallen@taxicharity.org FULL LIST OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Our History 1948 The London Taxi Benevolent Association For War Disabled (LTBAFWD), also known as the Taxi Charity, was formed at the Bedford Arms in Fulham on 27 February 1948. Later that same year, the first two outings took place, one to Brighton and one to Worthing. In total, 25 taxis were used to convey 50 disabled veterans. 1951 - 1962 Between 1951 and 1962, the number of volunteer taxi drivers increased to 60, which meant we were able to take 120 disabled veterans to Worthing each year. 1980s In the 1980s, there were annual visits to Maidstone and Leeds Castle. The most notable of these took place in 1982 when, among the guests, were the wounded from the Falklands Campaign. 1987 On the 9 and 10 September 1987, a return to Dunkirk was made by 200 disabled ex-servicemen. This journey of remembrance, involving 55 London taxis, conveyed war disabled from The Royal Star & Garter Home in Richmond, the Royal Hospital Chelsea, The British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association and war disabled persons from their own homes. 1990 1990 saw the Battle of Britain Anniversary, which was held in honour of the Few. The guests at some of these outings included Lady Mountbatten, Charlie Chester and Harry Secombe. 1994 In 1994, we organised a 4 day commemorative trip to the Normandy beaches for the 50th anniversary of D-Day. On 9 June 1994 at 9:30 am, 75 London taxi drivers were given the honour of assembling on Horse Guards Parade, with 150 Normandy veterans, to await the arrival of HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. This must be one of the proudest moments, in the history of the London Taxi trade. The Queen Mother arrived at 10:30 am, accompanied by Dame Vera Lynn DBE LLD (in her capacity as Patron of the LTBAFWD), and Field Marshall Lord Bramall, the Lord Lieutenant of London. 2007 Veterans and volunteers from the Taxi Charity were invited to Clarence House by HRH Prince Charles. 2008 In May 2008, we returned to Normandy for a 4 day visit with 160 Normandy veterans in 95 London taxis. ​ 2012 In May 2012, we went to the Netherlands to celebrate the anniversary of VE Day with the Dutch people. We took 160 World War II veterans in 86 taxis. The British veterans were made guest of honour on three open-top double decker buses, which toured the town of Wageningen, watched by a crowd of 150,000. ​ 2016 ​ The charity changed its name from the London Taxi Benevolent Association For War Disabled to Taxi Charity For Military Veterans. Also receives National Lottery Award. ​ 2017 ​ In addition to the annual Worthing outing and Christmas lunch, in 2017 the charity took 250 veterans back to the Normandy beaches in 90 taxis (#backtothebeaches). Other outings included a lunch at the RAF Club, a trip to Inkpen, a fundraising event with the Red Devils, a boxing night and a trip to the Netherlands for Wandeltocht. ​ 2018 ​ In February, the Taxi Charity celebrated its 70th anniversary with a party at The Bedford Arms, the pub where the charity was formed on 27 February 1948. In June, the charity escorted 25 WWII veterans on a trip to Normandy; and in July, 100 cabs took veterans on the charity's annual trip to Worthing. In December, Major General Alastair Bruce attended the Taxi Charity Christmas lunch and confirmed he would be taking on the role of ambassador for the charity. ​ 2019 ​ This year was by far the busiest and most varied in our history. A year punctuated by historic and landmark anniversaries, some of which brought widespread media attention. Plus we announced a new chairman: Ian Parsons. During April, the RNRMC invited 18 Royal Navy veterans to Portsmouth for a three-day visit of the city and surrounding area; in May, we escorted 35 veterans to the Netherlands for the Dutch Liberation celebrations, and six RAF veterans to Berlin to attend an anniversary service at Tempelhof Memorial Park to mark 70 years since the end of the Berlin Airlift. The 6 June 2019 marked the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, and our week-long trip to Normandy (3 - 8 June) was the culmination of over a year’s planning and preparation. For this historic visit, our 32-taxi convoy transported thirty-five World War II veterans - most of whom fought in Normandy - plus carers, medics, mechanics, special guests and drivers; on 18 June, over 100 taxis took veterans to Worthing. and on 22 June, we took over 30 veterans to Hever Castle as part of the Home Front event. July saw a fundraising skydive; and a trip to Belgium for Waterloo Uncovered. This year marked the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem and in September, the Taxi Charity made a special effort to ensure we escorted as many veterans who participated in Operation Market Garden as possible. And in December, we held our annual Christmas lunch at Milwall FC. ​ 2020 ​ The Taxi Charity was with a group of veterans in Oosterbeek in the Netherlands in March 2020 for the re-opening of the Airborne Museum when the lockdown was announced. The visit was immediately curtailed, and we headed home. The charity had to put all its events and fundraising activities on hold due to the Coronavirus restrictions but we worked tirelessly to ensure that our veterans received regular contact by sending a greeting card each month, gifts to mark the 75th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day, stockings at Christmas and arranging Guards of Honour at veterans’ funerals. ​ 2021 In June, the Taxi Charity received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service , an annual award given to groups in the UK voluntary sector; the charity also took a large group of WWII veterans to the National Memorial Arboretum to participate in the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer via a live link. The charity held its annual Christmas lunch for veterans and volunteers at Milwall FC. 2022 The Taxi Charity returned to the Netherlands (for the Dutch Liberation Day celebrations in May and the Wandeltocht commemorative march in September) and Normandy (for the D-Day commemorations in June) for the first time after the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic halted our travel abroad. Sixty black cabs made the trip to Worthing in July, after a break of two years. Brian Heffernan became the charity's new chairman in September.

One-Off Donations using GoCardless You can make one-off donations to the Taxi Charity by using GoCardless. ​ We have set up some different one-off amounts below. If you can't see an amount you'd like to donate, please email us at info@taxicharity.org and we'll set it up for you. ​ If you do not want to set up a one-off donation, y ou can also make a recurring donation ​ . MAKE A ONE-OFF DONATION OF £5 DONATE NOW MAKE A ONE-OFF DONATION OF £50 DONATE NOW MAKE A ONE-OFF DONATION OF £10 DONATE NOW MAKE A ONE-OFF DONATION OF £100 DONATE NOW MAKE A ONE-OFF DONATION OF £25 DONATE NOW MAKE A ONE-OFF DONATION OF £250 DONATE NOW

Major Peter Norton GC Taxi Charity Ambassador Major Peter Norton was awarded the George Cross for his bravery in the Al Bayaa District near Baghdad in 2005. Following an attack on a three-vehicle patrol using a massive command initiated improvised explosive device, a weapons intelligence team, commanded by Norton, was tasked to the scene and faced the complete destruction of a patrol vehicle and the deaths of four United States personnel. Despite the unavailability of any US Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams and with a complete understanding of the potential hazard to himself, knowing that the insurgents had used secondary devices before, Norton went forward alone to conduct an initial check for further devices before he would allow his team to explore the scene. A short while later, an explosion occurred and Norton sustained a traumatic amputation of his left leg and suffered serious blast and fragmentation injuries to his right leg, arms and lower abdomen. Despite these grievous injuries, Norton remained conscious and concerned for the safety of his team, directing them to safe areas as they rushed to provide first aid. Norton further refused to be evacuated from the scene until he had briefed them that he suspected further devices were present and received assurances that no further exploration would take place until an EOD team had cleared the area in daylight. The next day a tertiary booby-trap device was discovered less than 10m away. ​ The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans is delighted to have welcomed Major Peter Norton GC as an ambassador for the charity in November 2022. Twitter: @petenortongc VIEW ALL AMBASSADORS

Vice President Dick Goodwin Dick grew up in North London and emigrated to Australia for two years with his family in the early 1970s. When he left school, Dick joined Camden Council as an apprentice electrician. At the age of 20, Dick joined the London Metropolitan Police, where he spent the next 17 years until he was retired due to a back injury. Dick then decided on a career in photography, during which he chose to concentrate on veterans’ events. His father had served in the Royal Artillery during WWII, landing on Sword Beach in the early hours of D-Day, which inspired Dick to meet other veterans and learn their stories. ​ Dick became involved with the Taxi Charity in 2004 and was invited onto the committee in 2006. Two of his uncles were London cabbies and he has always had an admiration and affection for the trade. Dick has been instrumental in revitalising the bucket collections and has organised many of the charity trips, including those to France, Holland, Germany and Belgium. ​ Liaising with his many contacts both here and abroad, he is committed to the continued recognition and support of our veterans. He is also passionate about the future and how our current veterans will need all the help and support charities such as ours can provide. Their circumstances and injuries are vastly different from those of previous conflicts and need careful and considerate attention. dickgoodwin@taxicharity.org FULL LIST OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Chris Willmott Taxi Charity Ambassador Chris Willmott served with 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment between 1977 and 1981, and again between 2010 and 2011. He also served with 289 commando battery Royal Artillery between 1988 and 1996. After he left the military, Chris worked for both the Hampshire and London Fire Brigades. In 2017, Chris was asked to assist us to support Arthur Letchford, a WWII veteran who had also served with the 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment on a small trip to Arnhem. Both Chris and Arthur belonged to the same Parachute Regiment Association branch, and as Arthur’s usual companions were unavailable for this trip, Chris was delighted to step in. Since that first trip, Chris has regularly been to Wageningen in May, Normandy in June and Arnhem in September over the years and has attended several UK-based trips. He also regularly visits individual veterans and their families at their homes. Chris was asked to become a Taxi Charity ambassador in October 2024. We asked Chris about what he enjoys most about volunteering with the charity and he said: "I think the joy of being with the charity as the companion of a veteran is due to the synergy that exists from the beginning to the end of the trips abroad. The veterans, companions, carers, support staff, and the interaction with the locals at all levels, makes being part of the trips a very rewarding experience." VIEW ALL AMBASSADORS

Our Patrons Vice-Admiral Sir Adrian Johns, KCB, CBE, KStJ, DL Lady (Suzie) Johns Dame Joanna Lumley, OBE FRGS

Our Ambassadors Frans Ammerlaan MBE READ MORE Roger Beets MBE READ MORE Major General Alastair Bruce OBE KStJ VR DL READ MORE Mylton Burden READ MORE Kaz Donald READ MORE Johnny Gallagher READ MORE Abbie Kennedy READ MORE Ben Mayne READ MORE Major Peter Norton GC READ MORE Steve Rouse READ MORE Theresa Rouse READ MORE Darren Swift READ MORE Kaye Thorpe READ MORE Chris Willmott READ MORE Frances Wyhowska READ MORE