Last week, we made the trip down to Cornwall to visit Normandy Veteran, Harry Billinge MBE, with one of our Ambassadors, Glyn Dewis. Glyn was photographing Harry as part of his fabulous The 3945 Portraits Project.

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During our visit, we had a great opportunity to chat with Harry and we were amazed at his boundless energy and enthusiasm for the fundraising activities he does for the Normandy memorial which will honour his fallen comrades. Harry has spent much of the past 60 years collecting funds for a variety of charity campaigns.

Given that he does so much for others, we wanted to ask Harry if there was anything that he needed. After a little thought, he stated that a lightweight wheelchair would be great and would make a big difference to him as he often feels tired after a day out (hardly surprising at 94 years old!). So, the next day, we ordered a brand new lightweight wheelchair and a gel cushion to give Harry as much comfort as possible.

 

Yesterday, our CEO returned to see Harry together with Glyn who was delivering a print of his portrait to Harry.

Harry was delighted with his new wheelchair and clearly very grateful for the support we have given him. He asked to be photographed in his new chair and then stated that he would like say a few words to encourage other Veterans to reach out for help if they need it. His message says it all......

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Meeting Harry (and his fellow WW2 Veterans) is a huge privilege and we felt very humbled to see his incredible efforts to honour his fallen comrades. His MBE is very well deserved indeed!