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As the UK continues to experience the upheaval and difficulty of fighting COVID, as Brexit disagreements continue with the EU and the Government seeks to establish a new global position for the country, feelings of uncertainty can arise and it is times like these that national institutions can struggle to retain the trust and confidence of the people, so it has been heartening to see so many demonstrations of support and respect for our Armed Services over the last year.

From helping the nation’s battle against COVID, supporting stranded lorry drivers in Dover, from leading UN Missions or assisting with air land rescue missions in Kabul, our London armed forces have been involved.  Being fortunate enough to see organisations like the Royal Hospital Chelsea and the Bank of England pledge action on the Armed Forces Covenant, and witnessing young people and their adult volunteers reuniting across London for face to face training and activities, or learning how  the Royal Marines Reserves have supported youth outreach through their Challenge South London event, I have been privileged to see the very warm regard people hold for Regulars, Reserves, Cadets and Veterans across London.

Hopefully, this print magazine can give you a taste as to what the Armed Forces community have been up to over the past 12 months, but please do visit www.londonbridge.online to find out more, and see some online exclusive articles.

The articles in this edition, and online, show that the volunteer Armed Forces community, be it Reserves, Cadets, Adult Volunteers or anyone involved with them, are resilient, adaptable and imaginative in their efforts to generate positive outputs.  I am proud to lead GL RFCA and commend the staff for their support to this amazing cohort of people and the wider Armed Forces community too.  I’d also like to acknowledge all those other non-military folk that support this same important group, in particular, those London based employers who have adapted HR policies to provide essential assistance for them in their volunteer roles.

Colonel (Retired) Peter Germain