June 13, 2025 • 63 mins
In this episode of The Muster Point Podcast, we dive into: Military Versus Cancer: how veterans support forces families battling cancer, raising awareness & providing vital support.
Join your hosts Stu Mendelson and Steve Black, both British Army veterans, as they share real-life stories, hilarious forces banter, and powerful conversations around life in and after the military.
🪖 In this episode:
-
Veteran mental health, submariner stories & life after service
-
Founding of Military Versus Cancer and its impact across the UK
-
Cancer support for military families: gaps, struggles, and success stories
-
Community fundraising, upcoming events & national recognition goals
-
How to support, volunteer, or refer someone in need
👉 Whether you're a veteran, serving, family member, or supporter — The Muster Point gives you real talk with honesty, humour and heart.
🎧 Available On: YouTube: The Muster Point Podcast Spotify: The Muster Point Podcast Apple Podcasts: The Muster Point Podcast
Subscribe, share and leave a review!
👉 Follow us on social media:
- X: @themusterpoint
- TikTok: @themusterpoint
- LinkedIn: The Muster Point
- Website: www.themusterpoint.org.uk
#Veterans #BritishArmy #MilitaryBanter #MilitaryHumour #ArmyLife #MilitaryPodcast #VeteranSupport #MentalHealth #PTSD #AddictionRecovery #ForcesStories #MilitaryPranks #SquaddieLife #ServiceLeavers #BeyondTheWire #TheMusterPoint #MilitaryTikTok #PodcastClips #ViralPodcast #VeteransUK
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
So, Graham and Dave from Military Verses Cancer.
Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Wire and talking about what you do.
I looked up a statistic.
One in two people will have some form of cancer in their lifetime.
And I reckon everybody has been touched, whether it's themselves or somebody else.
(00:21):
So I think it's interesting, well, amazing what you're doing.
But if we start at the beginning, if you...
Whoever wants to go first, share a bit about your military service, what you got up to.
Do you want to go first, Dev, or do you want me to go first?
I'll have a stab if you want.
(00:41):
So I've just left the Royal Navy Submarine Service after 34 years.
I left in July last year.
I might as well get it out of the way right now.
only visited two, in the entire 34 years I only visited two countries which were Gibraltarand Texas.
And ironically both trips were courtesy of the RAF.
So I was either getting it really wrong as a Submariner or the RAF had a better travelagent, one of the two.
(01:07):
Well they do, don't they?
Yeah, you're not kidding.
You're not kidding.
I spent my entire career on bombers.
The fleet boats go places, see the world and stop in exotic ports and the bombers, we leftFaslane, disappeared for a few months and came back usually to the rain.
eh We didn't visit countries, we visited the depths of the oceans.
eh So while the others were out there seeing the world, I was busy being a bomber queen.
(01:31):
All pearls and pressure rolls.
And just to add insult to injury, it was actually an RAF warrant officer who once said tome that 150 sailors go away and 75 couples come back.
I genuinely didn't have any response, but I did quickly sign him up as a trustee.
Over to you, Graham.
So similar to Dave, I joined the Navy in 1990 um and I first came, well, met Dave in 91 onour first bomber patrol um on Resolution over Christmas and I stayed on the bombers um on
(02:09):
the air boats then went to V boats and I got my only trip of four months in America.
when we did the fire runs for Trident on Vigilant.
I left in 99 and I've had a bit of a rollercoaster since I left the mob.
(02:33):
But yeah, I can go into a bit more detail on that if you would like me to.
So yeah, like I say, I left in 99 and I went into a telecoms job which didn't last toolong because I was a little bit...
impulsive shall we say and kind of forgot that I wasn't in the military anymore andstarted telling people what I thought and when they were when they weren't doing what they
(02:55):
were supposed to be doing I also told them that but obviously that didn't get appreciatedthat wasn't appreciated then I ended up in the prison service which I worked at a place
called Franklin HMP Franklin up in the northeast it's been in the news quite a lotrecently um
one of the top security ones, isn't it?
It is mate, yeah and in 2010 there was a massive incident at Franklin which I was involvedin, staff got stabbed and I ended up going to court twice in the box, got absolutely
(03:30):
grilled and the kid who, it was all on cctv, he stabbed one member of staff under the arm,severing an artery, he lost seven and a half, eight pints of blood that day.
which was was proper touch and go whether he would survive.
The kid then ran after a female member of staff and stabbed her in the back.
(03:52):
All of this was caught on CCTV.
We got him down, took him away, all the rest of it and it ended up in court and he gotfound not guilty.
And that was kind of, you know, I had my kids in 2010, my son was two, my daughter waseight and I was just like...
(04:14):
my head went and I ended up in in counselling and in a bit of a state if I'm being honestand once the court case was done I was just like right I need out of here and I went
offshore for a little bit of time then came back to communications realizing that I'dwatched my P's and Q's and what have you and that's been me m pretty much since 2016 2017
(04:43):
up until now really and yeah it's been a bit of a bit of a rough one but we're in a goodplace now that is for sure.
And I think we can all, I certainly can, and I'm pretty sure Steve can relate to that.
As you call it, minding your P's and Q's.
And that was the big, I had to sort of, what's the word for it?
(05:06):
Monitor myself, like, because I spent times in offices and that, it's like, you want tosay something and it's like, oh, can't say that.
Or I say something, which isn't too offensive, but you get...
Yeah.
like it's hard what about you Dave so what was your transition like
(05:29):
It was actually alright.
mean it was just my time to leave.
You know after 34 years I loved my time despite serving with Graham.
I still managed to have a great time.
uh Luckily he left way before I did so I managed to have some good times.
It was yeah because by the time I'd left in July last year I'd been running military vscancer in one form or another for around, since 2018.
(05:59):
So it was that point where you decide that either you continue with your service or youdedicate it to another cause and I chose to dedicate it to another cause which was in
support of the armed forces community so I've still left but I've still got an awful lotof communication with the people that are still serving.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
(06:20):
So I served in the Royal Engineers and I spent some time up at Gaeloc Head gettingthrashed.
And as a treat, we got to visit Faslane and go on one of the nuclear subs.
Obviously, we didn't see the restricted parts, but we had a look around and thesubmariner, all I can say is you submariners are a weird lot.
(06:42):
But I guess you have to be down at sea.
Very polite and well dressed, I suspect.
Yeah, I guess we gave him this Submariner some looks like the ones I was getting when Iwas a Civvie working in that office.
But what, is it true that when the sub goes out and you go down, don't, or the majority ofthe crew don't know whether you're on exercise, real operations, or you don't know where
(07:10):
you are in the world?
So there's an element of truth.
You always know what operation you're on.
em You might not know the destination.
You might not know where you are at any given time, but you will know whether you're onexercise or whether you're deployed on operations.
You'll definitely know the difference at that point.
em Yeah, it's a strange life.
(07:34):
There's no two ways about it, but a life like no other.
It's true that it...
You
you dedicate your life to each other once you've deployed.
I think as well, to be fair, once you're on patrol it doesn't matter where you are.
For the bombers especially, because you know whether it's 6 weeks, 12 weeks or you knowwhat the guys and girls are doing now in 20 odd weeks, 26 weeks whatever it is, it doesn't
(08:03):
matter because you don't have any contact with the outside world.
it really doesn't matter where you are and people...
As daft as it sounds, people weren't particularly bothered.
Yeah, I suppose it doesn't matter when you're ah in a metal tube at the bottom of theocean does it?
Like it is what it is.
(08:23):
Yeah, yeah.
And I've always wondered so that and I'll tell you obviously he taught the guy that showedus around this submarines spun as a bit of a dit on that because he made out that nobody
knew where they were and they were all heroes and that which I mean, yeah, exactly.
But what interested me was he said.
If the sub goes down, there's only few reasons why it would surface sort of out of ascheduled surface.
(08:50):
And uh he told us stories where people have gone down and lost family members, come backup and it's like, they've been, they passed away and have been buried.
And this guy had never been told, is that?
Because that sounds quite, that's horrendous, I think.
oh, fucking hell.
(09:12):
Adio.
Dragged that memory back up, didn't you?
Yeah, twice.
that is...
And what was it, if you don't mind sharing, what was that feeling like?
Like being confronted with that when you've surfaced?
m It was hard going.
It's a strange feeling.
(09:33):
mean I got back, first was my grandma, um which was probably 93 something, 94 and I gotback and nobody, they still didn't tell me when we surfaced, when we got back in and I got
back home and
(09:54):
my parents were there and I was looking at my dad and I was thinking there's justsomething not right here and my dad, he broke down, he was a bit of a mess and he was
like, Graeme I'm really sorry, he grand died while you were away, m I wanted to tell youbut I didn't want to tell you, he says I don't know whether I've done the right thing and
(10:16):
I was just like dad, it's, you know was upset, was like but look don't worry, I saidyou've done exactly the right thing, I said
I've got no issue with you not with your see the off crew just to leave it and not tell meto like it because he wanted to tell me himself.
was like, it's not an issue.
And to be fair for that one, it was more of a it was more of an issue for me old man thanwhat it was for me.
(10:39):
was obviously I was upset.
Don't get me wrong.
But I think the fact that they'd waited till I got home before they said anything was wasan absolute godsend.
m
The second time was my mum's dad and we were on vigilant and we were doing exercises andI'd seen him before I went away and I knew at that point I wasn't going to see him again
(11:09):
and we were away for about four or six weeks just doing exercise or something like thatand we ended up on the Isle of Skye and the day before the captain called me into his
cabin
sat me down and I was like, I know what's coming here because it wasn't to be unexpected.
em Sat and had a chat with the captain and the day after he said to me straight away,right, you're off tomorrow and got back down home and I think I got back down in time for
(11:41):
his funeral.
it's just one of those, it was one of those things, it's hard, but it's...
Sometimes uh I found it easier for my dad to tell me rather than somebody who you know whoI was serving with if I'm being honest
I guess, sorry, sleeve gone.
I just want to say the Submariners, they get paid, I think, a lot more than anyone else inthe Armed Forces.
(12:06):
What is that payment for?
Is it for things like that, to compensate it, or is it because it is a danger pay?
What is the actual payment for?
It's a combination of things really.
Yes, it is the hardships that we do eh go through for things like that.
But it's also the fact that, you know, a submariner doesn't just understand thecompartment he's working in.
(12:28):
He understands every compartment on board that submarine.
He understands every single piece of kit, how to isolate it fully, how to operate everypiece of kit on board.
um And it's just an understanding of how to...
em
fight really, how to fight the submarine, how to keep it afloat and how to support themission.
(12:52):
m
pattern?
I heard it 6 on 6 off Yeah That's unbelievable
board, but generally speaking it's six on six off.
And when you're talking that these submarines are going away for anything up to six monthsnow, and that's without surfacing.
So I've seen both sides of the coin really.
I've been that on board and sailed on board these submarines, but I've also operated emwithin the agency that supports the submarines and provides all the information to them.
(13:24):
um
So I've been the one that sent that horrible email, so to speak, although it's not anemail, it's a signal, m to the commanding officer of the submarine to say that one of your
ship's company has got some bad news coming.
And then it's up to the commanding officer to hold on to that information for how long.
(13:46):
And it's up to him to decide how that information is delivered to that individual.
So there's a lot on his shoulders or her shoulders.
I guess as much as Steve and I being in the army, having served in the army and obviously,like, submariners are a bit of a novel species to us.
(14:09):
When I think, I'm just saying, thinking about it and deploying to Afghanistan's bad enoughfor six months, but to be in that cylinder, working in close, like, it's like, I guess you
have to be a...
uh
one moving cog as it were as a team.
Like what's it like working in that environment?
(14:32):
Because from my experience of having a little tour, it is very, very tight in there.
It is challenging isn't it?
You've got to rely on everybody and everybody relies on you.
And I know that's across the armed forces but you know if you're 200 foot under the seayou've been away for six weeks, you're feeling a bit down, you need somebody just to pick
(14:58):
you up and that's the biggest thing and you know I mean I look at myself and Dave, we'veknown each other what 30, 34, 35 years.
And that's the type of kind of like friendship you get and camaraderie you get and that'sthat comes from like being on board these things because you do need the support because
(15:20):
it might be the day that I'm feeling a bit crap and Dave comes off and he sees that andhe'll sit down and have a we'll have a chat we'll have a brew and try to pick you up and
and you know there's not a great deal to do on board and we'll go down to the gym or oreven just just sit and chat and
kind of like trying to take your mind off things and that's the biggest thing becausethat's all you've got.
(15:45):
For us, or for me personally, was just having the guys about, now it's the guys and thegirls because we've got girls on some the things but it is just that support network, it's
massive.
yeah.
You mentioned the gym there, so...
What's the gym like?
What's it like?
I've got...
Sorry, I sound like a child, but I've got so many like...
(16:05):
Like, what's the gym like?
What's the cook-outs like?
Or the galley like?
Like...
What is the food like?
What is the gym like?
Go on.
em Right, okay, so Graham never visited the gym so he won't know but it was, so theweights bench and so I'll go with the last few bombers that I was on so the weights bench,
(16:29):
the rowing machine um they were right next to the sewage pump um so you can imagine howwhen you're away for a good few weeks that sewage pump fails every now and again so it
pretty much sprays
its contents around the compartment which includes all over the wakes bench but it is justa case of wipe it off and crack on you're back on there there's nothing you can't do
(16:53):
without the wakes bench you can't do without the rowing machine so it's just a matter ofcrack on and just put up with the smell for the next few days and get on with it but down
on it's like on level four on the submarine it's you know you've got you've got all yourrunning machine stepper, versiclimber it's all there
(17:14):
Yeah.
as to whether you choose to use it or not.
But you've got to do some things to take your mind off where you are.
I bet you have.
So is there like a social area?
Or...
I guess the gym's a social area.
(17:35):
So what's the food like?
Because obviously in the British Army, the chef's course is the hardest course to passbecause...
No fucker passes it, but...
I'm going to pass you one quote and he's one of our committee members and I used to getsick of him saying it but it is quite amusing now.
He said he's here to sustain life not promote obesity and geez did he stick to that by theway?
(18:02):
uh
Yeah, the food was actually alright.
There just was never enough of it.
You know, these days when they're going away for six months at a time, I can't imaginewhat the food quality is like.
(18:23):
yeah, I bet.
So, are there any standout moments for me for your times in?
Can't notice the silence.
Bombers.
Yeah, there is.
one for me and that was getting me dolphins.
Passing my part three em and going into the the wardroom.
(18:47):
I think it was the wardroom we went into Dave and being presented your dolphins.
get your dolphins in a glass of rum.
Drink the rum, try not to swallow the dolphins and that's when you become a qualifiedswimmer and that makes your life.
so much easier on board because you then allowed into the mess to watch the movies youdon't have to be yeah yeah yeah yeah something like that but it made life a lot easier you
(19:19):
weren't expected to be constantly tracing systems learning systems learning how thingswork you then concentrated on your partnership if you like and you just got on with your
job so i think that was probably the the crowning moment for me
How long does it take to get your dolphins?
It took about 8 to 10 weeks for the patrol.
(19:41):
Yes.
Yeah, I think for me, m I think the standout moment to the part where it's kind of gonewrong and it's one of them where the ship's company comes together to save everything.
And I think one of them standout moments for me was when we had a fire on board and youget a fire on board a submarine, you've got two minutes where, and it's just that two
(20:06):
minutes where it's either gonna go really well or it's gonna go really, really wrong.
em
And it was just, we had staff on board that were training us at the time.
And it's that transition between, you know, you're all tired, you've been up 18, 20 hoursand you know, this staff are on board and they're creating fire, flood, famine, all that
(20:31):
kind of stuff.
But when it happened for real and we had a real fire on board, it was that transition ofthe ship's company that turned from a training scenario.
to it's real and it's get out of the way and let us do his job that we know we know how todo and it wasn't that and I'll talk about the guy so the guy was right at the forefront of
(20:53):
the fire he was actually right in front of it with the firefighting equipment was SeanGibney and I was next to him and we you know the ship's company gathering to provide all
the firefighting equipment to him and get that fire out because you know it's not
You're not just going to lose a piece of equipment, you're going to lose lives.
(21:13):
So it was just how you all worked together.
But I will mention Sean Gimney a little bit later on because he's one of the reasonsmilitary versus cancer ever came to be.
So I think I've got a newfound respect for you guys.
I won't be too easy to slag you off in the future because...
There's long left on this podcast yet, we'll soon sort that out.
(21:33):
Yeah, so you both leave the forces or the Navy well Well saying that you hadn't even leftthe Navy had you Dave because you mentioned that you'd have some tell us the story about
how the beginnings of veterans military versus cancer came about
It was just that combination of losing so many family and indeed Sean Gibney.
(21:56):
So around 2017, 2018, and I think everyone reaches a certain age and you startencountering cancer.
To me it was 2017, 2018 and I lost eight members of my family to cancer.
But on top of that, we were just in the process of losing someone to cancer.
(22:19):
and he wanted to, and it was Sean Gibney, and he wanted to make sure his family was lookedafter.
So we organised an event in Wigan in 2018 I think it was Graham?
Yeah in 2018 in Wigan and we just got 80 lads together, 80 submariners came together andwe raised some money, we created a ball, we raised some money during an auction, some
(22:43):
donations in support of his family.
And it was that where we had a meeting and we said, you know what, we can do better, wecan do something here.
And it was from there that we decided that we'll raise £100,000 and donate it towell-known cancer charities.
(23:07):
So we set off on a bit of a challenge as a fundraiser to raise some money to try and makea difference.
So did you raise the 100K and that got donated to cancer charities, did it?
we split it between the two.
We gave him 50,000 pounds or just under 50,000 pounds each it was.
But it was there when you, the curiosity of the military personnel is like, I kind of wantto know where that money's gone.
(23:33):
I want to know, you know, I want to be able to tell the people where the money's gone.
And I just thought we could do, I just thought we could do better.
And it turns out we can't do better, but we can do something different.
So we went on the journey of.
creating Military Versus Cancer as a registered charity to support the military personnelthat were making the donations in the first place.
(23:56):
So that's what we did and three years ago, three years ago this month and probably in thenext couple of days or round about now, three years now, we've been a registered charity
supporting military personnel but then we opened it out to veterans and we've opened itout to the families of all the above.
So it's good.
(24:18):
It's come a long way in a very short space of time.
Yeah, that's brilliant.
what were, during that journey of setting up the charity, what were some of the challengesyou faced?
the biggest challenge was the Charity Commission.
Not just the Charity Commission, but it was the Charity Commission during Covid.
(24:40):
The Charity Commission don't make it easy to become a charity, which is possibly how itshould be.
But we got to know a Portsmouth MP, Stephen Morgan, really quite well.
And he stepped in with a level of support and helped guide us.
And he was one of the reasons why we...
actually managed to get across the line and become a registered charity.
(25:02):
But again, with coming a charity, there's nothing, a little bit of military stubbornnessand a few spreadsheets couldn't handle.
We were built from the ground up and faced lots of Funding, logistics, trying to explainto people that we're not just a military charity or just a cancer charity, but something
(25:24):
that's in between and brings both worlds together.
Yeah, yeah.
and trying to do that without a huge team or a PR budget.
Yeah, and that's the thing, isn't it?
Because you like to see your British legions and that they have this big machine thatcould do all that for you.
so we're both both you two involved from the beginning of setting it up.
(25:44):
Who else did you have anyone else around you supporting?
Obviously, you mentioned the MP, but
So to be fair, was kind of pretty much took a, I wasn't particularly highly involved atthe beginning.
My involvement came probably three years ago now, Dave, do think?
em So about four years ago, and my wife split up and I was kind of like, I was needingsomething to get myself into.
(26:15):
My cousin, he does a lot of hill walking.
I had commentically said to him, fancy doing the Yorkshire three peaks.
I'd done no walk and I'd done no training.
It's like, fancy doing it.
He's like, yeah, but you need to do a bit of training fat lad because you're not doing itlike that.
(26:36):
oh So we did.
And I was talking to John one day we were out in the hills and I says, oh, we'll do this.
Me and you, we'll do it.
And I said, maybe we could try and get sponsored and we'll raise a little bit of money.
And I was like,
I know who I'll speak to Dave and we'll raise a little bit of money for military versuscancer.
So that went from, I had a conversation with Dave, Dave said, yeah, I'll jump in withthat.
(27:01):
So all right, there's three of us.
So we put a little post onto Facebook and the three of us went to 36, 38 of us doing theYorkshire Three Peaks.
And kind of, that was where my involvement came with, did.
Then the year after we finished the year, the three peaks and the guys were like, so whatare we doing next year?
(27:23):
It was like, Christ.
So we, ended up the year after we did Loch Lomond.
we, some people walked Loch Lomond at the length of Lomond.
Some people canoed it and some people did half of that.
Similar again, right?
What we do next year.
I'm like, shit, I'm going to run out of ideas here.
So we, we had a bimble around the peak district last year.
And next on Thursday, we start.
(27:46):
em Hadrian's Wall so we're walking from the east coast to the west coast well I'm notbecause I'm not that daft but I can take both of them but yeah so that's that's kind of
like this year and I've become um I've stepped up what was the beginning of it was it thisyear or last year I can't remember
(28:14):
to take over the events committee.
we, you know, we have a bunch of people, volunteers who try and raise as much money asthey can.
So that's kind of like my involvement at the minute.
Yeah.
So you mentioned there that you're starting a Hadrian's Wall fundraising challenge.
Just tell us a bit more about that.
(28:35):
Yeah, so on Thursday morning, we're all mustering at a place called Brumley Grange, whichis just off the 69 up at Hexham.
And then we're going to jump in transport down to Walls End.
Strangely enough, and there's going to be I think there's 22, 23 of us setting off.
We're going to do the full wall over four days, 20, 22 miles a day.
(29:03):
On Saturday, there's
another seven or eight maybe ten people joining us to do a one-day walk on Saturday andwe're hoping just to raise as much money as much awareness as we can because that's as big
a thing as anything else that the charity exists and for people one to donate but two tosay I want to be part of that how do I get involved and you know if we can maximize that
(29:33):
it will be
fantastic.
eh It's all about supporting the guys and the girls who are serving or who have served aswell so it's very important to get that message out.
Yeah, of course.
I mean, so as I said, I'll put all that on our social medias and I will keep plugging itbecause, do you know, I think when the email came through and I saw it and I was like, so
(30:05):
I think I replied, so my father-in-law was RAF, RAF police, but we'll forgive him forthat.
And he's
got a terminal diagnosis and one of the veterans that comes to our muster points recentlybeing diagnosed and because, I mean, us veterans were hard but cancer still gets us and I
(30:31):
was like excited to read about it and I was on the website and I was sharing it and then Iwas also like, again, I get annoyed because it's like, why don't more people know about
this?
Because it's...
Yeah, just, is, I think it, well, as I said, it affects everyone.
It's events like what Graham's um setting up for next week, or has set up for next week,that will get us better known.
(30:57):
And with Graham coming on board, we'll be able to have bigger and better events.
And I'm sure we'll talk about some of our upcoming events shortly.
And it's things like that that will get us out there and get us better known.
But we're also still a very small charity.
um You don't want that, what they call catastrophic success where...
(31:18):
Everyone comes to you at the same time and we never want to be that yeah, we never want tobe that charity that says no So we've got to be very careful about how we approach this
you work alongside other charities and organisations?
Yeah, we do, yeah.
So the likes of SAFRA, Help for Heroes, they regularly, in particular SAFRA, regularlysend people that have approached them because these families don't know about us, where
(31:47):
SAFRA do.
So SAFRA are quite open to pointing people in our direction and do on a regular basis.
I'll give you bit of funding as well.
Good point there by the way that that conversation has yet to come.
No, they do not not as yet but again
Interestingly, Steve in his spare time's a safer caseworker for Hertfordshire, so he'llput in a good word for you.
(32:09):
I like the sound of that and maybe that's another conversation that we can have later aswell.
eh Yeah, but that conversation is coming because we do support everyone together.
know, SAFRA and Militia Reverse Cancer work very well together, but it's alsounderstanding that we are very small.
So a little bit of help goes an awful long way, especially since it's in support of thepeople that we support.
(32:31):
Yeah, So what?
Tell us about what military versus cancer does.
Who are you?
What does it do?
There's a question.
So we were...
Time for the sales pitch.
Oh God, this is where it all goes very wrong.
So we were founded, we were founded to fill a gap and that's supporting the service peopleand their loved ones directly affected by cancer.
(32:56):
Cancer hits military families hard, especially veterans who are not always captured in themainstream charity support systems.
em You know, the emotional and financial impact to a serviceman and woman is often hiddenbehind stoicism and pride.
And you know, it's not always in particularly the army, we've come across this a few timeswhere the the individuals had a cancer diagnosis, but he's he's also got his family home
(33:26):
as a barricade.
You know, and he's getting to that point where I'm going to have to leave the army.
So that means I'm dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
I'm having to change jobs and I'm losing my family home.
I'm having to relocate.
And that's where we're there to.
to say, right, okay, this is not quite as bad as it sounds.
(33:47):
So let's see what we can do and see where we step in and we'll step in at any level.
Bottom to the top to say that that's not right and let's see what we can do to put itright.
And mostly we just say, you're not alone.
We fill the gap where service and sacrifice meets sickness and suffering and it's our dutyto stand with them just as they're willing to stand for us.
(34:09):
um
UK based but with a reach across the whole of the tri-service.
Small, focused, a growing national impact.
We're not just here to raise awareness of cancer and we're paying for the petrol to get tothe chemo, we're providing respite care after radiotherapy and helping families, far too
(34:38):
often helping families afford to attend their loved ones funerals.
And I've read on, I think I've read on your website, correct me if I'm wrong.
So you could also support with the financial costs of any equipment that may be needed ifhomes need adaptations, mean, I sound a bit naive because I guess cancer does take you
(35:00):
there.
Like it can be debilitating to that extent.
can.
mean one family, I'm always going to keep on reminiscing about the families we'vesupported in the past, one family, the gentleman didn't have long left and he just wanted
something, in fact two families recently, same kind of scenario, didn't have long left andit was never going to get out of the house much, that's where it was all going to end, but
(35:24):
he just wanted the opportunity to sit out in his garden and enjoy the garden with hischildren.
So we sorted the garden out on two occasions.
Navy 1REF just so they can have some time in the garden with his family and children justto have some little memories.
Yes.
you've touched on it there, but I always, the question we always ask is like, can youshare some success stories?
(35:49):
And um you've shared one there, but are there any other standout ones?
Or I guess, go on.
So probably two years ago now I think it was.
It was an awful place, St James's Park.
know, being a Sunderland fan, that's an awful, awful place.
(36:11):
But I was there and got a uh couple and just nothing was said, but it later transpiredthat the guy
I think it was a guy had cancer and Millie versus cancer stepped in to appear for hiswedding and they managed to get married before everything went badly wrong.
(36:37):
So I think that was one thing that always stood out in my mind and that has done for acouple of years where, you know, as a direct effect of me speaking to somebody at that
point, I was, you know, just a volunteer, just there helping out man in a stall and
selling the charity and we were able to help those people get married and it was quite anemotional thing when I found out that we'd managed to solve that.
(37:05):
Yeah, that's brilliant.
I was just thinking it must be such...
deeply emotional work that you guys do.
And maybe this is the trainee therapist in me, but how do you support yourselves?
And to be fair, I may edit this out if you want, but I'm just interested of how you guyslook after yourselves.
(37:30):
It's, do you know what, it's that dark humour and it's, and I'm sure it's how, how bluelight community support themselves.
And it's certainly how the military support each other.
You know, we talk with each other.
It helps that my wife works with us as well.
She's an occupational therapist by trade.
So she's got that connection that helps us bring us all back down to earth.
(37:56):
Because we do deal with some awful.
awful emails and awful phone calls and it's just you can't get caught up in it yourselfbecause you've got to remain focused because you've got a family to support and if you get
it wrong then it's on your shoulders so you know we've just got to stay focused and we doand like I say although there's me and my wife and Graham joining us we've got fantastic
(38:24):
trustees committee and patrons
and ambassadors now as well and and all together we're all we're all all about one we'reall military em you know so we've got we can rely on each other when when when we need to
talk and that's the thing we're always willing to talk we're always willing to open upbecause you can't can't bottle this up
(38:49):
You
to read out from your website what you provide.
So additional family nursing care funding, travel costs for treatment, including hotelstays for family members, home adaptations, respite breaks, memory making trips, special
experiences, especially those with a terminal diagnosis, peer group community support forserving forces, members and their families.
(39:13):
So do you have volunteers or
people that can provide sort of therapeutic talking support.
We have connection to, and I've got to remember who this is now.
I'll get back to you on that one.
But the thing is, it all comes down to the family.
(39:36):
What does that family need to get by?
And we'll provide whatever that family needs.
And emotional support is probably one of the biggest ones that they need.
uh
And just thinking about that because obviously the cancer charities out there seem, it'salways the cancer charities doing the emotional support for families.
(40:03):
And I just think it's incredible because having that from a veteran point or uh armedforces community point of view, as you said, there's that shared experience and that trust
isn't there.
Yeah, so when people contact us, the first person they talk to is going to be someone inthe military, is invariably going to be me, first of all.
(40:24):
So at least I've got that ability to talk on the same level.
But if it gets more than that, or when it gets more than that, um you know, we always relyon Charlie Charlie One, which is, you know, they're a great charity in their own right.
um And they...
you know, if someone, if an RAF guy comes to us and he's got bowel cancer, then at CharlieCharlie One, they've got someone in the RAF that has bowel cancer that they can relate to
(40:55):
each other then they can talk to each other.
And it's on that level as well.
You know, so we, know, military versus cancer and Charlie Charlie One work extremely welltogether to provide that wraparound support.
So that we're not just, we're not just providing
transport and looking after the family we're also looking after the mines as well.
(41:19):
and again it's just keeping it on on the military level.
So you know we do genuinely understand we might not always play well together but when itcomes to this we play extremely well um and we're all out for the same thing.
Yes.
So in terms of somebody listening to this that may have come to themselves or have a lovedone that served, what's the process from say, obviously I'll put the link to your website
(41:57):
and the phone number in the show notes and share it on social media, but if I picked upthe phone to you tomorrow, what can I expect?
All depends on the individual.
All depends on where they are in their cancer journey and what they want from us and whatwe can suggest to them as well.
We're small enough to act fast, but big enough to make a real change.
(42:22):
And it's that big one.
If you don't want to pick up the phone, then send us an email.
You don't want to send an email, talk to one of Oppos and get one of your Oppos to get intouch with us.
But the important part is that someone gets in touch with us to say that someone'sstruggling.
And at this stage you might not be struggling.
You might have it all in hand, but talk to us anyway.
know, we get so many, typical military, we get so many people that ring us up and say,I've got cancer, I don't want anything from you.
(42:49):
We stuff for you because I can open up doors that you can't now because I'm the one withcancer.
em So let me help your charity.
And that's just military through and through, innit?
um Just thinking of others when...
experience.
If.
em And again, it's just that working together, but it's the picking up the phone.
(43:10):
Pick up the phone, talk to us, em email us, contact us, anything, and let's talk to eachother and see what we can do together.
Do you know what?
I'm always fascinated by the help that people give us.
About two years ago, a gentleman approached us at one of our stalls down at Collingwood,and he's an ex-army guy, done very well for himself, and he owns a property in the south
(43:31):
of France.
em And he said, look, what I'm...
going to do is I'm going to open the doors because on the property there's a jeet and hesaid I'm going to open up the doors to military versus cancer so that your beneficiaries
can come and stay with us eh you know and they can relax and have a think about where theyare and maybe bring some family with them and that's you know that's just typical of the
(43:53):
stuff that we deal with military wanting to help military.
So I guess what I'm hearing is just phone the number and if you can't support directly,you'll endeavour to find somebody that can.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, absolutely.
mean, we were approached just three weeks ago, I'd say, an elderly gentleman, his daughterhad got in touch with us and said, look, he just wants the opportunity to steer a ship.
(44:23):
You know, he wants, he wants, it's his last opportunity.
Now this, that's, m I'm not happy, but that's just one thing that we didn't manage to do.
He was just too far advanced with his cancer.
em
But what we did manage to do was give him a fantastic send off and give the familysomething back as well.
(44:48):
And it was one of our trustees, Dave, the chef, um that stepped in and really made thefuneral a little bit more special.
So we could help in one form if we couldn't help in the form that the family wantedinitially.
amazing.
Do you verify people's service?
uh
(45:11):
so it's the two things we do verify.
We verify people's service and verify that they have a cancer diagnosis.
Again, we have to do things by the book.
But it's the two things that we can do very, very quickly.
If they're already serving, you we've got people in our organization that are serving, soproving their service is very simple.
(45:36):
Proving service of veterans, a little bit more complicated.
can be dealt with very, very quickly.
Yeah.
So what about the other side of that of people that could be listening to this that wantto support?
mean, obviously apart from the old Bob Geldof give us all your money, but what sort ofsupport would help?
(45:57):
Oh, great, I'm jumping anytime at this one, this...
so I suppose from my point of view, know, with events is getting involved with the events.
If you see something, you know, that the events are being run, get involved.
If you come up with an idea, speak to me.
(46:20):
I will.
If we can make it work, we will make it work.
You know, it...
there's been stuff in the North East, there's been stuff in Scotland, we will try and getfurther down South because we need to people, we need to spread the word.
So if people come, if somebody comes to me and say, Graham, I've got this idea, I want todo, I don't know, whatever it is, I'd say, right, okay then, let's have a conversation,
(46:44):
let's get involved, see if we can get this, can we get enough people, do you know enoughpeople to get involved in this?
And we will spread that word and we will get there.
You know, it's all about engagement.
Yeah, yeah.
you know and I think once people start to realise that it's there then we can make notmake more money but we can get more money into the charity there to get it to where it
(47:07):
needs to be.
Mmm.
I mean there's so many ways that you can get involved in military versus cancer and youdon't need to be military, you don't need to have had or have cancer, you just need to
care.
We're always looking for volunteers whether it's helping at events, selling raffletickets, shaking a bucket or just making a coffee, which by the way is probably the most
powerful weapon in our arsenal.
(47:29):
But you you can fundraise, people run marathons, bake cakes, climb mountains, if you'vegot an idea then Graham will back you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
who can get involved to sponsorship in kind support even just helping us spread the wordWe don't want to work with companies because it looks good on a CSR report.
We want to work with people who actually care eh
(47:54):
Just out of interest, it's just come to me.
So obviously you support serving members of the armed forces.
Do you have links with regimental units or uh garrisons?
Do know what?
I've really struggled with the army to get into the army.
I wasn't going to say this, I was at the Military Veterans Football Vigedia tournament inSunderland about three weeks ago.
(48:26):
And there was a bunch of tankies there.
Yeah, Chris Bryant, yeah, Chris Bryant said he spoke to you.
Terrible haircut.
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and the guys were milling around, I was talking about militaryversus cancer and they actually said to us, oh, we'll put you in touch with a couple of
(48:46):
guys about a podcast.
And I said, all right, OK then.
m And we got talk and it turns out it was you guys.
And I said to them, to be fair, we've already got an appointment in a meeting to speak tothe guys.
(49:21):
Yeah, yeah
and that's the biggest that's the biggest thing and if from doing this if we can breakthose barriers down if we can get into these guys and say come and come and see what we do
Yeah, yeah.
you know, come and see what we do, come and have a laugh with us because Hadrian's Wallwill be a laugh, it's going to be hard going, but it will be a laugh.
(49:44):
We aim to have a laugh.
is, you know, we want everybody to enjoy the experience as much as has raised money andeverything else.
It's about enjoying and seeing what military versus cancer can do and, you know, possiblyhearing about some of the cases that we deal with and all the rest of it and think, hang
on, I want to be part of that.
(50:05):
Yes.
We've just joined COPSIO as well, the Confederation of Service Charities.
you know, we are now, as of...
Have I told you this, As of...
Just...
He talks at me.
He talks at me.
That's what it is.
Just as of last...
I think it was Friday, em we became an official military charity.
(50:28):
em So, you know, that's going to open up doors.
More people are going to know about us.
em And like I say...
The events that we've got coming up are...
Yeah, horrendous, some of them.
the events that we've got coming up are fantastic.
So it will open up to...
of people who regularly listen and get involved and they do clarity work, they dofundraising, so we'll pass your details on to them and I'm sure they'll...
(50:57):
Well, for me, It annoys me slightly that Chrissy Bryant, if you're to this, Chris, fuckingfool you.
But like, it took that because as soon as I heard about it, I'm like, fucking hell, thisis amazing.
I need to find out more.
So I'm gonna try all I can to just spread the word because I just think it's.
(51:24):
The king's got cancer, know the king's a veteran he's got cancer it affects everyone youknow
Hmm.
Yeah, well, I will say that was just an example.
was, it was just, you know, that is uh a barrier that I tend to hit a lot up until, and Iwas talking to a made a miner who I've known since I was four or five.
(51:45):
He's army logistics somewhere in Beverly or somewhere like that.
And I was talking to him about, were trying to get him on board and he was like, there'sjust that many charities, Graham, not, you know, we can't be everywhere.
And I was like,
(52:18):
It's almost like an insurance if you like uh
and it's trying to break that mindset of people think it's a charity or it's going, weneed to push it somewhere else.
No, this is for the Armed Forces, for the veterans, for the families.
Yeah.
And this is the thing, like, so there are, there are a lot of veteran charities out there,but there's no one that does what you do.
(52:42):
Like, I mean, would, I guess to an element, if I went to the British Legion, they mayoffer, but just sort of standard support.
wouldn't be specific as in, yeah, this is specifically for people with cancer.
(53:20):
Yeah, he is.
So what does the future hold?
Erm, so, amongst many other things...
It's gonna get better because I'm coming on board.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Well, you're already on board because...
(53:40):
So obviously you mentioned the Hadrian's Wall event which will have already started andprobably completed by the time this goes out.
So God knows how you're going to be feeling, Graham.
You might be knackered listening to this, but what else?
What else is in the pipeline?
Events wise, uh Graham, you're the event, so do you want to cover the events?
(54:03):
pretty much.
we'll start with events and then we'll ask the top man where the charity is going, inwhich direction.
I can't answer everything.
So like you said there about Hadrian's Wall and taking a rest after that, well that's notgoing to happen because we've got a charity rugby match at Kingston Park on the 21st of
(54:26):
June, which we will be running with the planning on that.
So that's UK Armed Forces versus Northeast Select 15, both women and men's games.
em
to service personnel and their families.
Because it's an Armed Forces uh day celebrations.
So basically we get back from Hadrian's Wall on the Sunday evening and we've got a meetingon either the Monday or the Tuesday at the start getting the final bits of that jigsaw put
(54:58):
together.
em So that's kind of no rest for that.
Then we've got a little event happening in, well two little events happening in September.
There's a field gun pull from Lanzenta, John O'Groats.
Yes.
(55:19):
Madmen.
Bloody hell.
Excellent.
over a thousand military, it's going to take over a thousand military personnel to makesure that happens.
And not just that, obviously it's the support of industry as well.
Without industry, we need industry tobaccos on this one for the field gun pull.
We're talking a thousand miles and a thousand military personnel on the public roadspulling a one ton Boer war field gun.
(55:43):
m That's pretty special to say the least.
It's got to.
That's unbelievable that is.
Hopefully for the right reasons.
uh
and in between that and we've got our summer ball which is on the 20th of September inStoke-on-Trent I mean obviously it'd be nice to see you guys up there if you if you could
(56:09):
make it
Well, interestingly, so you can't tell by the accent, but was actually born inStoke-on-Trent, well, Stafford.
I moved down south quite well when I was young, but my mum and dad live in Alton inStaffordshire.
ah well, Steve's up for it.
uh I may be up for going.
So Richard Jones is going to be our compare.
(56:31):
Richard Jones, the military magician that won Britain's Got Talent, is a fantastic compareand he's a brilliant entertainer.
And we've also got an army band playing for us that night as well.
Lovely.
So sorry, I interrupted there.
So the 21st September, did you say?
Saturday the 20th.
(56:52):
Then, yeah, I've lost my train of thought now, sorry.
that's my fault.
Yeah, so we've got the summer ball Saturday the 20th in Stoke-on-Trent as 20th ofSeptember Stoke-on-Trent.
We'll have Richard Jones being the compare who was the military magician.
m Like Dave said, we've got the an army band there and there'll be an auction.
(57:13):
And I kid you not it's these are great nights.
They really are.
It's it's you know, you get a bunch of military personnel with a with a bunch of civvies.
Everybody gets on well and as a
great great night and we tend to raise quite a lot of money because people have a fewbeers a few wines and start chucking money about which is which is ultimately what we're
(57:33):
after.
em So we've also got um charity golf at Celtic Manor and I can't remember the datesalthough on the 6th of August so we've got some big names coming for that as well.
Billiams coming for that one.
He is yeah, so he says self-confessed that he's not a golfer.
(57:55):
However, he is willing to jump in a car Golf cart and drive around with lots of beer Touraround all the celebrities are gonna be it's a Clive Woodward signed up Stuart Dallas
Stuart Dallas has signed up cat wait and so, you know, that's
I'm not into golf, so I have to take trust you on that one.
Leeds United Football, Leeds United Football.
(58:15):
em So mean, yeah, 6th of August, lots of celebrities signed up and we'd love to see somepersonnel there, military personnel there playing.
So again, come and get in touch with us.
good day.
and obviously we've got the Great North Great South runs in September as well.
Then the Christmas party in the 6th of December, I believe up in Newcastle.
(58:39):
Then we will be starting to try and get more regular events next year with having me onboard as well.
you know, instead of having everything kind of lumped into a three or four month period,we're going to try and stretch that out.
It's going to be my game.
to more people involved and like I say we want more people involved down south we wantevents down south so it might be a case of we come to you guys and see if we can do
(59:06):
something round in your area as well you know whatever that might be yet we're gonnaalways have that conversation
(59:32):
No, just saying, I can't believe how busy you are.
When we talked about events, I thought he was going to rattle off a couple of things, butit's busy diary.
a really busy...
we're completely focused on events.
You know, we will diversify but right now we're focused on events and know, it's themilitary, supporting the military that's doing all this.
(59:53):
Yeah.
So in terms of the direction of the charity, what's the future hold?
eh The future is bright, especially now we've got Graham on board as well.
Our events, in particular the Field Gun Pull, are going to help highlight what we do andwho we do it for.
um I mean that event is, like you say, it's going to be national so it's going to get ourname out there.
(01:00:17):
But long term we want to be that one stop shop for the armed forces community strugglingwith the effects of cancer.
We want to be that known charity.
It started with a small idea and a big heart and now...
with the support we're getting, I genuinely believe that Military Versus Cancer can andwill become a national charity.
(01:00:37):
And that doesn't just honor the military spirit, but lives the military spirit.
um Yeah, and I'm looking forward to the RAF pulling the gun since they took me onholidays.
yeah.
He's going to make it heavier for him.
They'll probably make me make it plastic or something.
don't have me knocking the RAF, I really need them for this event.
(01:00:58):
Haha
Yeah, I think that thank you for the opportunity to reach a much bigger audience with us.
So really can't thank you enough.
and
be saved on back catalog.
So if people search and look them up, yeah, I just, that's the whole thing.
Just getting the word out there about guys like yourself, it more needs to be done.
(01:01:23):
Yeah, I agree.
No, thank you.
Have you got anything, Steve?
No, I think it's amazing what you're doing.
I didn't know too much about what you did.
We mentioned you in a podcast before.
Chris Bryant mentioned you to me.
He said, you've got to speak to these blokes.
I said, we're already talking to them.
So that's just amazing.
I'd say I'd love to be part of it.
(01:01:46):
Yeah, really enjoyed this one.
Thank you.
think I'm gonna be necky here if you can get in touch with Chris and get him to get intouch with us.
Give him a quick reminder because I did give him a card and what have you but you know hehasn't been in touch yet so Chris if you're watching this, listen and do it.
Please get in touch.
Let's see what we can do.
(01:02:07):
Yeah, that might.
Are you on Facebook and all that sort of stuff?
Yeah, anyone that Googles military versus cancer, military VS cancer, em you know, Googlesand you'll find exactly where we are.
Excellent.
Well guys, thank you so much for coming on Beyond the Wire.
I think what you're doing is incredible and it's just about getting the word out there andI think you mentioned that the vision is to be a national charity that everybody's aware
(01:02:38):
of and I hope that is the case.
I honestly do because what you're doing is much needed.
Thanks a lot.
Cheers.
Cheers guys.
you
So, Graham and Dave from Military Verses Cancer.
Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Wire and talking about what you do.
I looked up a statistic.
One in two people will have some form of cancer in their lifetime.
And I reckon everybody has been touched, whether it's themselves or somebody else.
(00:21):
So I think it's interesting, well, amazing what you're doing.
But if we start at the beginning, if you...
Whoever wants to go first, share a bit about your military service, what you got up to.
Do you want to go first, Dev, or do you want me to go first?
I'll have a stab if you want.
(00:41):
So I've just left the Royal Navy Submarine Service after 34 years.
I left in July last year.
I might as well get it out of the way right now.
only visited two, in the entire 34 years I only visited two countries which were Gibraltarand Texas.
And ironically both trips were courtesy of the RAF.
So I was either getting it really wrong as a Submariner or the RAF had a better travelagent, one of the two.
(01:07):
Well they do, don't they?
Yeah, you're not kidding.
You're not kidding.
I spent my entire career on bombers.
The fleet boats go places, see the world and stop in exotic ports and the bombers, we leftFaslane, disappeared for a few months and came back usually to the rain.
eh We didn't visit countries, we visited the depths of the oceans.
eh So while the others were out there seeing the world, I was busy being a bomber queen.
(01:31):
All pearls and pressure rolls.
And just to add insult to injury, it was actually an RAF warrant officer who once said tome that 150 sailors go away and 75 couples come back.
I genuinely didn't have any response, but I did quickly sign him up as a trustee.
Over to you, Graham.
So similar to Dave, I joined the Navy in 1990 um and I first came, well, met Dave in 91 onour first bomber patrol um on Resolution over Christmas and I stayed on the bombers um on
(02:09):
the air boats then went to V boats and I got my only trip of four months in America.
when we did the fire runs for Trident on Vigilant.
I left in 99 and I've had a bit of a rollercoaster since I left the mob.
(02:33):
But yeah, I can go into a bit more detail on that if you would like me to.
So yeah, like I say, I left in 99 and I went into a telecoms job which didn't last toolong because I was a little bit...
impulsive shall we say and kind of forgot that I wasn't in the military anymore andstarted telling people what I thought and when they were when they weren't doing what they
(02:55):
were supposed to be doing I also told them that but obviously that didn't get appreciatedthat wasn't appreciated then I ended up in the prison service which I worked at a place
called Franklin HMP Franklin up in the northeast it's been in the news quite a lotrecently um
one of the top security ones, isn't it?
It is mate, yeah and in 2010 there was a massive incident at Franklin which I was involvedin, staff got stabbed and I ended up going to court twice in the box, got absolutely
(03:30):
grilled and the kid who, it was all on cctv, he stabbed one member of staff under the arm,severing an artery, he lost seven and a half, eight pints of blood that day.
which was was proper touch and go whether he would survive.
The kid then ran after a female member of staff and stabbed her in the back.
(03:52):
All of this was caught on CCTV.
We got him down, took him away, all the rest of it and it ended up in court and he gotfound not guilty.
And that was kind of, you know, I had my kids in 2010, my son was two, my daughter waseight and I was just like...
(04:14):
my head went and I ended up in in counselling and in a bit of a state if I'm being honestand once the court case was done I was just like right I need out of here and I went
offshore for a little bit of time then came back to communications realizing that I'dwatched my P's and Q's and what have you and that's been me m pretty much since 2016 2017
(04:43):
up until now really and yeah it's been a bit of a bit of a rough one but we're in a goodplace now that is for sure.
And I think we can all, I certainly can, and I'm pretty sure Steve can relate to that.
As you call it, minding your P's and Q's.
And that was the big, I had to sort of, what's the word for it?
(05:06):
Monitor myself, like, because I spent times in offices and that, it's like, you want tosay something and it's like, oh, can't say that.
Or I say something, which isn't too offensive, but you get...
Yeah.
like it's hard what about you Dave so what was your transition like
(05:29):
It was actually alright.
mean it was just my time to leave.
You know after 34 years I loved my time despite serving with Graham.
I still managed to have a great time.
uh Luckily he left way before I did so I managed to have some good times.
It was yeah because by the time I'd left in July last year I'd been running military vscancer in one form or another for around, since 2018.
(05:59):
So it was that point where you decide that either you continue with your service or youdedicate it to another cause and I chose to dedicate it to another cause which was in
support of the armed forces community so I've still left but I've still got an awful lotof communication with the people that are still serving.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
(06:20):
So I served in the Royal Engineers and I spent some time up at Gaeloc Head gettingthrashed.
And as a treat, we got to visit Faslane and go on one of the nuclear subs.
Obviously, we didn't see the restricted parts, but we had a look around and thesubmariner, all I can say is you submariners are a weird lot.
(06:42):
But I guess you have to be down at sea.
Very polite and well dressed, I suspect.
Yeah, I guess we gave him this Submariner some looks like the ones I was getting when Iwas a Civvie working in that office.
But what, is it true that when the sub goes out and you go down, don't, or the majority ofthe crew don't know whether you're on exercise, real operations, or you don't know where
(07:10):
you are in the world?
So there's an element of truth.
You always know what operation you're on.
em You might not know the destination.
You might not know where you are at any given time, but you will know whether you're onexercise or whether you're deployed on operations.
You'll definitely know the difference at that point.
em Yeah, it's a strange life.
(07:34):
There's no two ways about it, but a life like no other.
It's true that it...
You
you dedicate your life to each other once you've deployed.
I think as well, to be fair, once you're on patrol it doesn't matter where you are.
For the bombers especially, because you know whether it's 6 weeks, 12 weeks or you knowwhat the guys and girls are doing now in 20 odd weeks, 26 weeks whatever it is, it doesn't
(08:03):
matter because you don't have any contact with the outside world.
it really doesn't matter where you are and people...
As daft as it sounds, people weren't particularly bothered.
Yeah, I suppose it doesn't matter when you're ah in a metal tube at the bottom of theocean does it?
Like it is what it is.
(08:23):
Yeah, yeah.
And I've always wondered so that and I'll tell you obviously he taught the guy that showedus around this submarines spun as a bit of a dit on that because he made out that nobody
knew where they were and they were all heroes and that which I mean, yeah, exactly.
But what interested me was he said.
If the sub goes down, there's only few reasons why it would surface sort of out of ascheduled surface.
(08:50):
And uh he told us stories where people have gone down and lost family members, come backup and it's like, they've been, they passed away and have been buried.
And this guy had never been told, is that?
Because that sounds quite, that's horrendous, I think.
oh, fucking hell.
(09:12):
Adio.
Dragged that memory back up, didn't you?
Yeah, twice.
that is...
And what was it, if you don't mind sharing, what was that feeling like?
Like being confronted with that when you've surfaced?
m It was hard going.
It's a strange feeling.
(09:33):
mean I got back, first was my grandma, um which was probably 93 something, 94 and I gotback and nobody, they still didn't tell me when we surfaced, when we got back in and I got
back home and
(09:54):
my parents were there and I was looking at my dad and I was thinking there's justsomething not right here and my dad, he broke down, he was a bit of a mess and he was
like, Graeme I'm really sorry, he grand died while you were away, m I wanted to tell youbut I didn't want to tell you, he says I don't know whether I've done the right thing and
(10:16):
I was just like dad, it's, you know was upset, was like but look don't worry, I saidyou've done exactly the right thing, I said
I've got no issue with you not with your see the off crew just to leave it and not tell meto like it because he wanted to tell me himself.
was like, it's not an issue.
And to be fair for that one, it was more of a it was more of an issue for me old man thanwhat it was for me.
(10:39):
was obviously I was upset.
Don't get me wrong.
But I think the fact that they'd waited till I got home before they said anything was wasan absolute godsend.
m
The second time was my mum's dad and we were on vigilant and we were doing exercises andI'd seen him before I went away and I knew at that point I wasn't going to see him again
(11:09):
and we were away for about four or six weeks just doing exercise or something like thatand we ended up on the Isle of Skye and the day before the captain called me into his
cabin
sat me down and I was like, I know what's coming here because it wasn't to be unexpected.
em Sat and had a chat with the captain and the day after he said to me straight away,right, you're off tomorrow and got back down home and I think I got back down in time for
(11:41):
his funeral.
it's just one of those, it was one of those things, it's hard, but it's...
Sometimes uh I found it easier for my dad to tell me rather than somebody who you know whoI was serving with if I'm being honest
I guess, sorry, sleeve gone.
I just want to say the Submariners, they get paid, I think, a lot more than anyone else inthe Armed Forces.
(12:06):
What is that payment for?
Is it for things like that, to compensate it, or is it because it is a danger pay?
What is the actual payment for?
It's a combination of things really.
Yes, it is the hardships that we do eh go through for things like that.
But it's also the fact that, you know, a submariner doesn't just understand thecompartment he's working in.
(12:28):
He understands every compartment on board that submarine.
He understands every single piece of kit, how to isolate it fully, how to operate everypiece of kit on board.
um And it's just an understanding of how to...
em
fight really, how to fight the submarine, how to keep it afloat and how to support themission.
(12:52):
m
pattern?
I heard it 6 on 6 off Yeah That's unbelievable
board, but generally speaking it's six on six off.
And when you're talking that these submarines are going away for anything up to six monthsnow, and that's without surfacing.
So I've seen both sides of the coin really.
I've been that on board and sailed on board these submarines, but I've also operated emwithin the agency that supports the submarines and provides all the information to them.
(13:24):
um
So I've been the one that sent that horrible email, so to speak, although it's not anemail, it's a signal, m to the commanding officer of the submarine to say that one of your
ship's company has got some bad news coming.
And then it's up to the commanding officer to hold on to that information for how long.
(13:46):
And it's up to him to decide how that information is delivered to that individual.
So there's a lot on his shoulders or her shoulders.
I guess as much as Steve and I being in the army, having served in the army and obviously,like, submariners are a bit of a novel species to us.
(14:09):
When I think, I'm just saying, thinking about it and deploying to Afghanistan's bad enoughfor six months, but to be in that cylinder, working in close, like, it's like, I guess you
have to be a...
uh
one moving cog as it were as a team.
Like what's it like working in that environment?
(14:32):
Because from my experience of having a little tour, it is very, very tight in there.
It is challenging isn't it?
You've got to rely on everybody and everybody relies on you.
And I know that's across the armed forces but you know if you're 200 foot under the seayou've been away for six weeks, you're feeling a bit down, you need somebody just to pick
(14:58):
you up and that's the biggest thing and you know I mean I look at myself and Dave, we'veknown each other what 30, 34, 35 years.
And that's the type of kind of like friendship you get and camaraderie you get and that'sthat comes from like being on board these things because you do need the support because
(15:20):
it might be the day that I'm feeling a bit crap and Dave comes off and he sees that andhe'll sit down and have a we'll have a chat we'll have a brew and try to pick you up and
and you know there's not a great deal to do on board and we'll go down to the gym or oreven just just sit and chat and
kind of like trying to take your mind off things and that's the biggest thing becausethat's all you've got.
(15:45):
For us, or for me personally, was just having the guys about, now it's the guys and thegirls because we've got girls on some the things but it is just that support network, it's
massive.
yeah.
You mentioned the gym there, so...
What's the gym like?
What's it like?
I've got...
Sorry, I sound like a child, but I've got so many like...
(16:05):
Like, what's the gym like?
What's the cook-outs like?
Or the galley like?
Like...
What is the food like?
What is the gym like?
Go on.
em Right, okay, so Graham never visited the gym so he won't know but it was, so theweights bench and so I'll go with the last few bombers that I was on so the weights bench,
(16:29):
the rowing machine um they were right next to the sewage pump um so you can imagine howwhen you're away for a good few weeks that sewage pump fails every now and again so it
pretty much sprays
its contents around the compartment which includes all over the wakes bench but it is justa case of wipe it off and crack on you're back on there there's nothing you can't do
(16:53):
without the wakes bench you can't do without the rowing machine so it's just a matter ofcrack on and just put up with the smell for the next few days and get on with it but down
on it's like on level four on the submarine it's you know you've got you've got all yourrunning machine stepper, versiclimber it's all there
(17:14):
Yeah.
as to whether you choose to use it or not.
But you've got to do some things to take your mind off where you are.
I bet you have.
So is there like a social area?
Or...
I guess the gym's a social area.
(17:35):
So what's the food like?
Because obviously in the British Army, the chef's course is the hardest course to passbecause...
No fucker passes it, but...
I'm going to pass you one quote and he's one of our committee members and I used to getsick of him saying it but it is quite amusing now.
He said he's here to sustain life not promote obesity and geez did he stick to that by theway?
(18:02):
uh
Yeah, the food was actually alright.
There just was never enough of it.
You know, these days when they're going away for six months at a time, I can't imaginewhat the food quality is like.
(18:23):
yeah, I bet.
So, are there any standout moments for me for your times in?
Can't notice the silence.
Bombers.
Yeah, there is.
one for me and that was getting me dolphins.
Passing my part three em and going into the the wardroom.
(18:47):
I think it was the wardroom we went into Dave and being presented your dolphins.
get your dolphins in a glass of rum.
Drink the rum, try not to swallow the dolphins and that's when you become a qualifiedswimmer and that makes your life.
so much easier on board because you then allowed into the mess to watch the movies youdon't have to be yeah yeah yeah yeah something like that but it made life a lot easier you
(19:19):
weren't expected to be constantly tracing systems learning systems learning how thingswork you then concentrated on your partnership if you like and you just got on with your
job so i think that was probably the the crowning moment for me
How long does it take to get your dolphins?
It took about 8 to 10 weeks for the patrol.
(19:41):
Yes.
Yeah, I think for me, m I think the standout moment to the part where it's kind of gonewrong and it's one of them where the ship's company comes together to save everything.
And I think one of them standout moments for me was when we had a fire on board and youget a fire on board a submarine, you've got two minutes where, and it's just that two
(20:06):
minutes where it's either gonna go really well or it's gonna go really, really wrong.
em
And it was just, we had staff on board that were training us at the time.
And it's that transition between, you know, you're all tired, you've been up 18, 20 hoursand you know, this staff are on board and they're creating fire, flood, famine, all that
(20:31):
kind of stuff.
But when it happened for real and we had a real fire on board, it was that transition ofthe ship's company that turned from a training scenario.
to it's real and it's get out of the way and let us do his job that we know we know how todo and it wasn't that and I'll talk about the guy so the guy was right at the forefront of
(20:53):
the fire he was actually right in front of it with the firefighting equipment was SeanGibney and I was next to him and we you know the ship's company gathering to provide all
the firefighting equipment to him and get that fire out because you know it's not
You're not just going to lose a piece of equipment, you're going to lose lives.
(21:13):
So it was just how you all worked together.
But I will mention Sean Gimney a little bit later on because he's one of the reasonsmilitary versus cancer ever came to be.
So I think I've got a newfound respect for you guys.
I won't be too easy to slag you off in the future because...
There's long left on this podcast yet, we'll soon sort that out.
(21:33):
Yeah, so you both leave the forces or the Navy well Well saying that you hadn't even leftthe Navy had you Dave because you mentioned that you'd have some tell us the story about
how the beginnings of veterans military versus cancer came about
It was just that combination of losing so many family and indeed Sean Gibney.
(21:56):
So around 2017, 2018, and I think everyone reaches a certain age and you startencountering cancer.
To me it was 2017, 2018 and I lost eight members of my family to cancer.
But on top of that, we were just in the process of losing someone to cancer.
(22:19):
and he wanted to, and it was Sean Gibney, and he wanted to make sure his family was lookedafter.
So we organised an event in Wigan in 2018 I think it was Graham?
Yeah in 2018 in Wigan and we just got 80 lads together, 80 submariners came together andwe raised some money, we created a ball, we raised some money during an auction, some
(22:43):
donations in support of his family.
And it was that where we had a meeting and we said, you know what, we can do better, wecan do something here.
And it was from there that we decided that we'll raise £100,000 and donate it towell-known cancer charities.
(23:07):
So we set off on a bit of a challenge as a fundraiser to raise some money to try and makea difference.
So did you raise the 100K and that got donated to cancer charities, did it?
we split it between the two.
We gave him 50,000 pounds or just under 50,000 pounds each it was.
But it was there when you, the curiosity of the military personnel is like, I kind of wantto know where that money's gone.
(23:33):
I want to know, you know, I want to be able to tell the people where the money's gone.
And I just thought we could do, I just thought we could do better.
And it turns out we can't do better, but we can do something different.
So we went on the journey of.
creating Military Versus Cancer as a registered charity to support the military personnelthat were making the donations in the first place.
(23:56):
So that's what we did and three years ago, three years ago this month and probably in thenext couple of days or round about now, three years now, we've been a registered charity
supporting military personnel but then we opened it out to veterans and we've opened itout to the families of all the above.
So it's good.
(24:18):
It's come a long way in a very short space of time.
Yeah, that's brilliant.
what were, during that journey of setting up the charity, what were some of the challengesyou faced?
the biggest challenge was the Charity Commission.
Not just the Charity Commission, but it was the Charity Commission during Covid.
(24:40):
The Charity Commission don't make it easy to become a charity, which is possibly how itshould be.
But we got to know a Portsmouth MP, Stephen Morgan, really quite well.
And he stepped in with a level of support and helped guide us.
And he was one of the reasons why we...
actually managed to get across the line and become a registered charity.
(25:02):
But again, with coming a charity, there's nothing, a little bit of military stubbornnessand a few spreadsheets couldn't handle.
We were built from the ground up and faced lots of Funding, logistics, trying to explainto people that we're not just a military charity or just a cancer charity, but something
(25:24):
that's in between and brings both worlds together.
Yeah, yeah.
and trying to do that without a huge team or a PR budget.
Yeah, and that's the thing, isn't it?
Because you like to see your British legions and that they have this big machine thatcould do all that for you.
so we're both both you two involved from the beginning of setting it up.
(25:44):
Who else did you have anyone else around you supporting?
Obviously, you mentioned the MP, but
So to be fair, was kind of pretty much took a, I wasn't particularly highly involved atthe beginning.
My involvement came probably three years ago now, Dave, do think?
em So about four years ago, and my wife split up and I was kind of like, I was needingsomething to get myself into.
(26:15):
My cousin, he does a lot of hill walking.
I had commentically said to him, fancy doing the Yorkshire three peaks.
I'd done no walk and I'd done no training.
It's like, fancy doing it.
He's like, yeah, but you need to do a bit of training fat lad because you're not doing itlike that.
(26:36):
oh So we did.
And I was talking to John one day we were out in the hills and I says, oh, we'll do this.
Me and you, we'll do it.
And I said, maybe we could try and get sponsored and we'll raise a little bit of money.
And I was like,
I know who I'll speak to Dave and we'll raise a little bit of money for military versuscancer.
So that went from, I had a conversation with Dave, Dave said, yeah, I'll jump in withthat.
(27:01):
So all right, there's three of us.
So we put a little post onto Facebook and the three of us went to 36, 38 of us doing theYorkshire Three Peaks.
And kind of, that was where my involvement came with, did.
Then the year after we finished the year, the three peaks and the guys were like, so whatare we doing next year?
(27:23):
It was like, Christ.
So we, ended up the year after we did Loch Lomond.
we, some people walked Loch Lomond at the length of Lomond.
Some people canoed it and some people did half of that.
Similar again, right?
What we do next year.
I'm like, shit, I'm going to run out of ideas here.
So we, we had a bimble around the peak district last year.
And next on Thursday, we start.
(27:46):
em Hadrian's Wall so we're walking from the east coast to the west coast well I'm notbecause I'm not that daft but I can take both of them but yeah so that's that's kind of
like this year and I've become um I've stepped up what was the beginning of it was it thisyear or last year I can't remember
(28:14):
to take over the events committee.
we, you know, we have a bunch of people, volunteers who try and raise as much money asthey can.
So that's kind of like my involvement at the minute.
Yeah.
So you mentioned there that you're starting a Hadrian's Wall fundraising challenge.
Just tell us a bit more about that.
(28:35):
Yeah, so on Thursday morning, we're all mustering at a place called Brumley Grange, whichis just off the 69 up at Hexham.
And then we're going to jump in transport down to Walls End.
Strangely enough, and there's going to be I think there's 22, 23 of us setting off.
We're going to do the full wall over four days, 20, 22 miles a day.
(29:03):
On Saturday, there's
another seven or eight maybe ten people joining us to do a one-day walk on Saturday andwe're hoping just to raise as much money as much awareness as we can because that's as big
a thing as anything else that the charity exists and for people one to donate but two tosay I want to be part of that how do I get involved and you know if we can maximize that
(29:33):
it will be
fantastic.
eh It's all about supporting the guys and the girls who are serving or who have served aswell so it's very important to get that message out.
Yeah, of course.
I mean, so as I said, I'll put all that on our social medias and I will keep plugging itbecause, do you know, I think when the email came through and I saw it and I was like, so
(30:05):
I think I replied, so my father-in-law was RAF, RAF police, but we'll forgive him forthat.
And he's
got a terminal diagnosis and one of the veterans that comes to our muster points recentlybeing diagnosed and because, I mean, us veterans were hard but cancer still gets us and I
(30:31):
was like excited to read about it and I was on the website and I was sharing it and then Iwas also like, again, I get annoyed because it's like, why don't more people know about
this?
Because it's...
Yeah, just, is, I think it, well, as I said, it affects everyone.
It's events like what Graham's um setting up for next week, or has set up for next week,that will get us better known.
(30:57):
And with Graham coming on board, we'll be able to have bigger and better events.
And I'm sure we'll talk about some of our upcoming events shortly.
And it's things like that that will get us out there and get us better known.
But we're also still a very small charity.
um You don't want that, what they call catastrophic success where...
(31:18):
Everyone comes to you at the same time and we never want to be that yeah, we never want tobe that charity that says no So we've got to be very careful about how we approach this
you work alongside other charities and organisations?
Yeah, we do, yeah.
So the likes of SAFRA, Help for Heroes, they regularly, in particular SAFRA, regularlysend people that have approached them because these families don't know about us, where
(31:47):
SAFRA do.
So SAFRA are quite open to pointing people in our direction and do on a regular basis.
I'll give you bit of funding as well.
Good point there by the way that that conversation has yet to come.
No, they do not not as yet but again
Interestingly, Steve in his spare time's a safer caseworker for Hertfordshire, so he'llput in a good word for you.
(32:09):
I like the sound of that and maybe that's another conversation that we can have later aswell.
eh Yeah, but that conversation is coming because we do support everyone together.
know, SAFRA and Militia Reverse Cancer work very well together, but it's alsounderstanding that we are very small.
So a little bit of help goes an awful long way, especially since it's in support of thepeople that we support.
(32:31):
Yeah, So what?
Tell us about what military versus cancer does.
Who are you?
What does it do?
There's a question.
So we were...
Time for the sales pitch.
Oh God, this is where it all goes very wrong.
So we were founded, we were founded to fill a gap and that's supporting the service peopleand their loved ones directly affected by cancer.
(32:56):
Cancer hits military families hard, especially veterans who are not always captured in themainstream charity support systems.
em You know, the emotional and financial impact to a serviceman and woman is often hiddenbehind stoicism and pride.
And you know, it's not always in particularly the army, we've come across this a few timeswhere the the individuals had a cancer diagnosis, but he's he's also got his family home
(33:26):
as a barricade.
You know, and he's getting to that point where I'm going to have to leave the army.
So that means I'm dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
I'm having to change jobs and I'm losing my family home.
I'm having to relocate.
And that's where we're there to.
to say, right, okay, this is not quite as bad as it sounds.
(33:47):
So let's see what we can do and see where we step in and we'll step in at any level.
Bottom to the top to say that that's not right and let's see what we can do to put itright.
And mostly we just say, you're not alone.
We fill the gap where service and sacrifice meets sickness and suffering and it's our dutyto stand with them just as they're willing to stand for us.
(34:09):
um
UK based but with a reach across the whole of the tri-service.
Small, focused, a growing national impact.
We're not just here to raise awareness of cancer and we're paying for the petrol to get tothe chemo, we're providing respite care after radiotherapy and helping families, far too
(34:38):
often helping families afford to attend their loved ones funerals.
And I've read on, I think I've read on your website, correct me if I'm wrong.
So you could also support with the financial costs of any equipment that may be needed ifhomes need adaptations, mean, I sound a bit naive because I guess cancer does take you
(35:00):
there.
Like it can be debilitating to that extent.
can.
mean one family, I'm always going to keep on reminiscing about the families we'vesupported in the past, one family, the gentleman didn't have long left and he just wanted
something, in fact two families recently, same kind of scenario, didn't have long left andit was never going to get out of the house much, that's where it was all going to end, but
(35:24):
he just wanted the opportunity to sit out in his garden and enjoy the garden with hischildren.
So we sorted the garden out on two occasions.
Navy 1REF just so they can have some time in the garden with his family and children justto have some little memories.
Yes.
you've touched on it there, but I always, the question we always ask is like, can youshare some success stories?
(35:49):
And um you've shared one there, but are there any other standout ones?
Or I guess, go on.
So probably two years ago now I think it was.
It was an awful place, St James's Park.
know, being a Sunderland fan, that's an awful, awful place.
(36:11):
But I was there and got a uh couple and just nothing was said, but it later transpiredthat the guy
I think it was a guy had cancer and Millie versus cancer stepped in to appear for hiswedding and they managed to get married before everything went badly wrong.
(36:37):
So I think that was one thing that always stood out in my mind and that has done for acouple of years where, you know, as a direct effect of me speaking to somebody at that
point, I was, you know, just a volunteer, just there helping out man in a stall and
selling the charity and we were able to help those people get married and it was quite anemotional thing when I found out that we'd managed to solve that.
(37:05):
Yeah, that's brilliant.
I was just thinking it must be such...
deeply emotional work that you guys do.
And maybe this is the trainee therapist in me, but how do you support yourselves?
And to be fair, I may edit this out if you want, but I'm just interested of how you guyslook after yourselves.
(37:30):
It's, do you know what, it's that dark humour and it's, and I'm sure it's how, how bluelight community support themselves.
And it's certainly how the military support each other.
You know, we talk with each other.
It helps that my wife works with us as well.
She's an occupational therapist by trade.
So she's got that connection that helps us bring us all back down to earth.
(37:56):
Because we do deal with some awful.
awful emails and awful phone calls and it's just you can't get caught up in it yourselfbecause you've got to remain focused because you've got a family to support and if you get
it wrong then it's on your shoulders so you know we've just got to stay focused and we doand like I say although there's me and my wife and Graham joining us we've got fantastic
(38:24):
trustees committee and patrons
and ambassadors now as well and and all together we're all we're all all about one we'reall military em you know so we've got we can rely on each other when when when we need to
talk and that's the thing we're always willing to talk we're always willing to open upbecause you can't can't bottle this up
(38:49):
You
to read out from your website what you provide.
So additional family nursing care funding, travel costs for treatment, including hotelstays for family members, home adaptations, respite breaks, memory making trips, special
experiences, especially those with a terminal diagnosis, peer group community support forserving forces, members and their families.
(39:13):
So do you have volunteers or
people that can provide sort of therapeutic talking support.
We have connection to, and I've got to remember who this is now.
I'll get back to you on that one.
But the thing is, it all comes down to the family.
(39:36):
What does that family need to get by?
And we'll provide whatever that family needs.
And emotional support is probably one of the biggest ones that they need.
uh
And just thinking about that because obviously the cancer charities out there seem, it'salways the cancer charities doing the emotional support for families.
(40:03):
And I just think it's incredible because having that from a veteran point or uh armedforces community point of view, as you said, there's that shared experience and that trust
isn't there.
Yeah, so when people contact us, the first person they talk to is going to be someone inthe military, is invariably going to be me, first of all.
(40:24):
So at least I've got that ability to talk on the same level.
But if it gets more than that, or when it gets more than that, um you know, we always relyon Charlie Charlie One, which is, you know, they're a great charity in their own right.
um And they...
you know, if someone, if an RAF guy comes to us and he's got bowel cancer, then at CharlieCharlie One, they've got someone in the RAF that has bowel cancer that they can relate to
(40:55):
each other then they can talk to each other.
And it's on that level as well.
You know, so we, know, military versus cancer and Charlie Charlie One work extremely welltogether to provide that wraparound support.
So that we're not just, we're not just providing
transport and looking after the family we're also looking after the mines as well.
(41:19):
and again it's just keeping it on on the military level.
So you know we do genuinely understand we might not always play well together but when itcomes to this we play extremely well um and we're all out for the same thing.
Yes.
So in terms of somebody listening to this that may have come to themselves or have a lovedone that served, what's the process from say, obviously I'll put the link to your website
(41:57):
and the phone number in the show notes and share it on social media, but if I picked upthe phone to you tomorrow, what can I expect?
All depends on the individual.
All depends on where they are in their cancer journey and what they want from us and whatwe can suggest to them as well.
We're small enough to act fast, but big enough to make a real change.
(42:22):
And it's that big one.
If you don't want to pick up the phone, then send us an email.
You don't want to send an email, talk to one of Oppos and get one of your Oppos to get intouch with us.
But the important part is that someone gets in touch with us to say that someone'sstruggling.
And at this stage you might not be struggling.
You might have it all in hand, but talk to us anyway.
know, we get so many, typical military, we get so many people that ring us up and say,I've got cancer, I don't want anything from you.
(42:49):
We stuff for you because I can open up doors that you can't now because I'm the one withcancer.
em So let me help your charity.
And that's just military through and through, innit?
um Just thinking of others when...
experience.
If.
em And again, it's just that working together, but it's the picking up the phone.
(43:10):
Pick up the phone, talk to us, em email us, contact us, anything, and let's talk to eachother and see what we can do together.
Do you know what?
I'm always fascinated by the help that people give us.
About two years ago, a gentleman approached us at one of our stalls down at Collingwood,and he's an ex-army guy, done very well for himself, and he owns a property in the south
(43:31):
of France.
em And he said, look, what I'm...
going to do is I'm going to open the doors because on the property there's a jeet and hesaid I'm going to open up the doors to military versus cancer so that your beneficiaries
can come and stay with us eh you know and they can relax and have a think about where theyare and maybe bring some family with them and that's you know that's just typical of the
(43:53):
stuff that we deal with military wanting to help military.
So I guess what I'm hearing is just phone the number and if you can't support directly,you'll endeavour to find somebody that can.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, absolutely.
mean, we were approached just three weeks ago, I'd say, an elderly gentleman, his daughterhad got in touch with us and said, look, he just wants the opportunity to steer a ship.
(44:23):
You know, he wants, he wants, it's his last opportunity.
Now this, that's, m I'm not happy, but that's just one thing that we didn't manage to do.
He was just too far advanced with his cancer.
em
But what we did manage to do was give him a fantastic send off and give the familysomething back as well.
(44:48):
And it was one of our trustees, Dave, the chef, um that stepped in and really made thefuneral a little bit more special.
So we could help in one form if we couldn't help in the form that the family wantedinitially.
amazing.
Do you verify people's service?
uh
(45:11):
so it's the two things we do verify.
We verify people's service and verify that they have a cancer diagnosis.
Again, we have to do things by the book.
But it's the two things that we can do very, very quickly.
If they're already serving, you we've got people in our organization that are serving, soproving their service is very simple.
(45:36):
Proving service of veterans, a little bit more complicated.
can be dealt with very, very quickly.
Yeah.
So what about the other side of that of people that could be listening to this that wantto support?
mean, obviously apart from the old Bob Geldof give us all your money, but what sort ofsupport would help?
(45:57):
Oh, great, I'm jumping anytime at this one, this...
so I suppose from my point of view, know, with events is getting involved with the events.
If you see something, you know, that the events are being run, get involved.
If you come up with an idea, speak to me.
(46:20):
I will.
If we can make it work, we will make it work.
You know, it...
there's been stuff in the North East, there's been stuff in Scotland, we will try and getfurther down South because we need to people, we need to spread the word.
So if people come, if somebody comes to me and say, Graham, I've got this idea, I want todo, I don't know, whatever it is, I'd say, right, okay then, let's have a conversation,
(46:44):
let's get involved, see if we can get this, can we get enough people, do you know enoughpeople to get involved in this?
And we will spread that word and we will get there.
You know, it's all about engagement.
Yeah, yeah.
you know and I think once people start to realise that it's there then we can make notmake more money but we can get more money into the charity there to get it to where it
(47:07):
needs to be.
Mmm.
I mean there's so many ways that you can get involved in military versus cancer and youdon't need to be military, you don't need to have had or have cancer, you just need to
care.
We're always looking for volunteers whether it's helping at events, selling raffletickets, shaking a bucket or just making a coffee, which by the way is probably the most
powerful weapon in our arsenal.
(47:29):
But you you can fundraise, people run marathons, bake cakes, climb mountains, if you'vegot an idea then Graham will back you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
who can get involved to sponsorship in kind support even just helping us spread the wordWe don't want to work with companies because it looks good on a CSR report.
We want to work with people who actually care eh
(47:54):
Just out of interest, it's just come to me.
So obviously you support serving members of the armed forces.
Do you have links with regimental units or uh garrisons?
Do know what?
I've really struggled with the army to get into the army.
I wasn't going to say this, I was at the Military Veterans Football Vigedia tournament inSunderland about three weeks ago.
(48:26):
And there was a bunch of tankies there.
Yeah, Chris Bryant, yeah, Chris Bryant said he spoke to you.
Terrible haircut.
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and the guys were milling around, I was talking about militaryversus cancer and they actually said to us, oh, we'll put you in touch with a couple of
(48:46):
guys about a podcast.
And I said, all right, OK then.
m And we got talk and it turns out it was you guys.
And I said to them, to be fair, we've already got an appointment in a meeting to speak tothe guys.
(49:21):
Yeah, yeah
and that's the biggest that's the biggest thing and if from doing this if we can breakthose barriers down if we can get into these guys and say come and come and see what we do
Yeah, yeah.
you know, come and see what we do, come and have a laugh with us because Hadrian's Wallwill be a laugh, it's going to be hard going, but it will be a laugh.
(49:44):
We aim to have a laugh.
is, you know, we want everybody to enjoy the experience as much as has raised money andeverything else.
It's about enjoying and seeing what military versus cancer can do and, you know, possiblyhearing about some of the cases that we deal with and all the rest of it and think, hang
on, I want to be part of that.
(50:05):
Yes.
We've just joined COPSIO as well, the Confederation of Service Charities.
you know, we are now, as of...
Have I told you this, As of...
Just...
He talks at me.
He talks at me.
That's what it is.
Just as of last...
I think it was Friday, em we became an official military charity.
(50:28):
em So, you know, that's going to open up doors.
More people are going to know about us.
em And like I say...
The events that we've got coming up are...
Yeah, horrendous, some of them.
the events that we've got coming up are fantastic.
So it will open up to...
of people who regularly listen and get involved and they do clarity work, they dofundraising, so we'll pass your details on to them and I'm sure they'll...
(50:57):
Well, for me, It annoys me slightly that Chrissy Bryant, if you're to this, Chris, fuckingfool you.
But like, it took that because as soon as I heard about it, I'm like, fucking hell, thisis amazing.
I need to find out more.
So I'm gonna try all I can to just spread the word because I just think it's.
(51:24):
The king's got cancer, know the king's a veteran he's got cancer it affects everyone youknow
Hmm.
Yeah, well, I will say that was just an example.
was, it was just, you know, that is uh a barrier that I tend to hit a lot up until, and Iwas talking to a made a miner who I've known since I was four or five.
(51:45):
He's army logistics somewhere in Beverly or somewhere like that.
And I was talking to him about, were trying to get him on board and he was like, there'sjust that many charities, Graham, not, you know, we can't be everywhere.
And I was like,
(52:18):
It's almost like an insurance if you like uh
and it's trying to break that mindset of people think it's a charity or it's going, weneed to push it somewhere else.
No, this is for the Armed Forces, for the veterans, for the families.
Yeah.
And this is the thing, like, so there are, there are a lot of veteran charities out there,but there's no one that does what you do.
(52:42):
Like, I mean, would, I guess to an element, if I went to the British Legion, they mayoffer, but just sort of standard support.
wouldn't be specific as in, yeah, this is specifically for people with cancer.
(53:20):
Yeah, he is.
So what does the future hold?
Erm, so, amongst many other things...
It's gonna get better because I'm coming on board.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Well, you're already on board because...
(53:40):
So obviously you mentioned the Hadrian's Wall event which will have already started andprobably completed by the time this goes out.
So God knows how you're going to be feeling, Graham.
You might be knackered listening to this, but what else?
What else is in the pipeline?
Events wise, uh Graham, you're the event, so do you want to cover the events?
(54:03):
pretty much.
we'll start with events and then we'll ask the top man where the charity is going, inwhich direction.
I can't answer everything.
So like you said there about Hadrian's Wall and taking a rest after that, well that's notgoing to happen because we've got a charity rugby match at Kingston Park on the 21st of
(54:26):
June, which we will be running with the planning on that.
So that's UK Armed Forces versus Northeast Select 15, both women and men's games.
em
to service personnel and their families.
Because it's an Armed Forces uh day celebrations.
So basically we get back from Hadrian's Wall on the Sunday evening and we've got a meetingon either the Monday or the Tuesday at the start getting the final bits of that jigsaw put
(54:58):
together.
em So that's kind of no rest for that.
Then we've got a little event happening in, well two little events happening in September.
There's a field gun pull from Lanzenta, John O'Groats.
Yes.
(55:19):
Madmen.
Bloody hell.
Excellent.
over a thousand military, it's going to take over a thousand military personnel to makesure that happens.
And not just that, obviously it's the support of industry as well.
Without industry, we need industry tobaccos on this one for the field gun pull.
We're talking a thousand miles and a thousand military personnel on the public roadspulling a one ton Boer war field gun.
(55:43):
m That's pretty special to say the least.
It's got to.
That's unbelievable that is.
Hopefully for the right reasons.
uh
and in between that and we've got our summer ball which is on the 20th of September inStoke-on-Trent I mean obviously it'd be nice to see you guys up there if you if you could
(56:09):
make it
Well, interestingly, so you can't tell by the accent, but was actually born inStoke-on-Trent, well, Stafford.
I moved down south quite well when I was young, but my mum and dad live in Alton inStaffordshire.
ah well, Steve's up for it.
uh I may be up for going.
So Richard Jones is going to be our compare.
(56:31):
Richard Jones, the military magician that won Britain's Got Talent, is a fantastic compareand he's a brilliant entertainer.
And we've also got an army band playing for us that night as well.
Lovely.
So sorry, I interrupted there.
So the 21st September, did you say?
Saturday the 20th.
(56:52):
Then, yeah, I've lost my train of thought now, sorry.
that's my fault.
Yeah, so we've got the summer ball Saturday the 20th in Stoke-on-Trent as 20th ofSeptember Stoke-on-Trent.
We'll have Richard Jones being the compare who was the military magician.
m Like Dave said, we've got the an army band there and there'll be an auction.
(57:13):
And I kid you not it's these are great nights.
They really are.
It's it's you know, you get a bunch of military personnel with a with a bunch of civvies.
Everybody gets on well and as a
great great night and we tend to raise quite a lot of money because people have a fewbeers a few wines and start chucking money about which is which is ultimately what we're
(57:33):
after.
em So we've also got um charity golf at Celtic Manor and I can't remember the datesalthough on the 6th of August so we've got some big names coming for that as well.
Billiams coming for that one.
He is yeah, so he says self-confessed that he's not a golfer.
(57:55):
However, he is willing to jump in a car Golf cart and drive around with lots of beer Touraround all the celebrities are gonna be it's a Clive Woodward signed up Stuart Dallas
Stuart Dallas has signed up cat wait and so, you know, that's
I'm not into golf, so I have to take trust you on that one.
Leeds United Football, Leeds United Football.
(58:15):
em So mean, yeah, 6th of August, lots of celebrities signed up and we'd love to see somepersonnel there, military personnel there playing.
So again, come and get in touch with us.
good day.
and obviously we've got the Great North Great South runs in September as well.
Then the Christmas party in the 6th of December, I believe up in Newcastle.
(58:39):
Then we will be starting to try and get more regular events next year with having me onboard as well.
you know, instead of having everything kind of lumped into a three or four month period,we're going to try and stretch that out.
It's going to be my game.
to more people involved and like I say we want more people involved down south we wantevents down south so it might be a case of we come to you guys and see if we can do
(59:06):
something round in your area as well you know whatever that might be yet we're gonnaalways have that conversation
(59:32):
No, just saying, I can't believe how busy you are.
When we talked about events, I thought he was going to rattle off a couple of things, butit's busy diary.
a really busy...
we're completely focused on events.
You know, we will diversify but right now we're focused on events and know, it's themilitary, supporting the military that's doing all this.
(59:53):
Yeah.
So in terms of the direction of the charity, what's the future hold?
eh The future is bright, especially now we've got Graham on board as well.
Our events, in particular the Field Gun Pull, are going to help highlight what we do andwho we do it for.
um I mean that event is, like you say, it's going to be national so it's going to get ourname out there.
(01:00:17):
But long term we want to be that one stop shop for the armed forces community strugglingwith the effects of cancer.
We want to be that known charity.
It started with a small idea and a big heart and now...
with the support we're getting, I genuinely believe that Military Versus Cancer can andwill become a national charity.
(01:00:37):
And that doesn't just honor the military spirit, but lives the military spirit.
um Yeah, and I'm looking forward to the RAF pulling the gun since they took me onholidays.
yeah.
He's going to make it heavier for him.
They'll probably make me make it plastic or something.
don't have me knocking the RAF, I really need them for this event.
(01:00:58):
Haha
Yeah, I think that thank you for the opportunity to reach a much bigger audience with us.
So really can't thank you enough.
and
be saved on back catalog.
So if people search and look them up, yeah, I just, that's the whole thing.
Just getting the word out there about guys like yourself, it more needs to be done.
(01:01:23):
Yeah, I agree.
No, thank you.
Have you got anything, Steve?
No, I think it's amazing what you're doing.
I didn't know too much about what you did.
We mentioned you in a podcast before.
Chris Bryant mentioned you to me.
He said, you've got to speak to these blokes.
I said, we're already talking to them.
So that's just amazing.
I'd say I'd love to be part of it.
(01:01:46):
Yeah, really enjoyed this one.
Thank you.
think I'm gonna be necky here if you can get in touch with Chris and get him to get intouch with us.
Give him a quick reminder because I did give him a card and what have you but you know hehasn't been in touch yet so Chris if you're watching this, listen and do it.
Please get in touch.
Let's see what we can do.
(01:02:07):
Yeah, that might.
Are you on Facebook and all that sort of stuff?
Yeah, anyone that Googles military versus cancer, military VS cancer, em you know, Googlesand you'll find exactly where we are.
Excellent.
Well guys, thank you so much for coming on Beyond the Wire.
I think what you're doing is incredible and it's just about getting the word out there andI think you mentioned that the vision is to be a national charity that everybody's aware
(01:02:38):
of and I hope that is the case.
I honestly do because what you're doing is much needed.
Thanks a lot.
Cheers.
Cheers guys.
you
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.