ABF South West

ABF South West The official page for Army Benevolent Fund - South West, For Soldiers For Life

This is the official page of the South West Region of ABF The Soldiers' Charity, covering Gloucestershire, Bristol, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, and the Channel Islands.

23/06/2026

We asked some of the South West Team what Armed Forces Day means to them

In 2023, Jon Penhale swam the English Channel as part of a team. Now he is training to attempt a solo swim around 22nd J...
20/06/2026

In 2023, Jon Penhale swam the English Channel as part of a team. Now he is training to attempt a solo swim around 22nd June, depending on the weather conditions. Jon is a serving Army Reservist who is raising money for Army Benevolent Fund and Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire Fund, which supports cadets and reservists in Gloucestershire and Bristol.
Images taken during Jon's 6 hour qualifying sea swim on 18th May - 6 hours in the sea and about 20km covered in some, at times, choppy waters.
We'd like to thank Jon so much for attempting this challenge for us. If you can spare anything to help Jon with his fundraising, that would be amazing.
https://givewheel.com/fundraising/12854/cross-channel-swim/

🎻✨ Save the Date! ✨🎻Get ready for A Reel Good Night — a lively ceilidh you won’t want to miss! 💃🕺Join us on Saturday 10 ...
19/06/2026

🎻✨ Save the Date! ✨🎻
Get ready for A Reel Good Night — a lively ceilidh you won’t want to miss! 💃🕺
Join us on Saturday 10 October 2026 at Lympstone Village Hall for an evening of fantastic music, dancing, and great company, featuring the brilliant Slack ma Girdle🎶
Whether you’re a seasoned ceilidh dancer or a complete beginner, everyone is welcome — just bring your dancing shoes and a sense of fun!
📅 10 October 2026
📍 Lympstone Village Hall, EX8 5JY
🎶 Live music from Slack ma Girdle
More details coming soon… stay tuned! 👀

We are busy getting ready for Armed Forces Day celebrations.Armed Forces Day is a national event giving everyone the opp...
18/06/2026

We are busy getting ready for Armed Forces Day celebrations.
Armed Forces Day is a national event giving everyone the opportunity to show their support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community — from currently serving personnel to veterans, reservists, and their families.
The day began as Veterans Day in 2006 and was later expanded and renamed Armed Forces Day in 2009, with the first national event hosted in Chatham, Kent. Since then, it has grown into a nationwide celebration of the dedication, courage, and sacrifices made by our Armed Forces.
Our first Armed Forces Day celebration will be on Saturday 20th June in St Austell, Cornwall. You will find us at White River Place, PL25 5AZ.
Why not stop by our stand and find out how you can make a difference?

17/06/2026

👏 Huge congratulations, and thank you, to the team from 29 Regiment RLC who took on the Cotswold Way Ultra Challenge this weekend in support of Army Benevolent Fund!

With most of the team having completed The Cateran Yomp less than a week ago, they were already carrying the battle scars of one endurance event into another. Unfortunately, aching knees and some truly impressive blisters took their toll, and a command decision was made to finish at the 53km checkpoint on day one.

Despite not reaching the full distance, the team’s commitment, determination and resilience were outstanding. Taking on 53km of the Cotswold Way with less than a week of recovery is an achievement in itself, and we’re incredibly grateful for their efforts.

They’re now on a mission to reach their fundraising target. If you’ve ever had a blister the size of a 10p piece, you’ll know they’re definitely worth a donation… and some of these looked like they deserved sponsorship all by themselves! 😅

Please help the team get over the finish line by supporting their fundraising effort! 🙏🏻

www.justgiving.com/team/team-29-regt-rlc

☕🍰 A fantastic Mental Health Day with 29 Regiment RLC this week!We brought along the BATAK machine and saw plenty of com...
13/06/2026

☕🍰 A fantastic Mental Health Day with 29 Regiment RLC this week!

We brought along the BATAK machine and saw plenty of competitive spirit. Several people came close to beating Tilly’s score, but the only winning attempt involved four soldiers on the machine at once… we’re still not sure whether that counts! 🤣

Alongside the BATAK challenge, there was a rage room, obstacle course, coffee morning and a cake competition, which raised an amazing £312.61 for ABF! 👏

It’s a great reminder that supporting mental health doesn’t always have to be complicated. Sometimes it’s as simple as bringing people together over a brew, a slice of cake, a bit of friendly competition and a shared cause.

If you’ve been thinking about organising a cake sale, coffee morning or fundraising event in your unit or workplace, why not give it a go? Every pound raised helps us continue supporting soldiers, veterans and their families when they need us most

Have you got any plans for next weekend, 19-21 June? If not why not head to to Dursley RFC for Dursley Rocks? This annu...
12/06/2026

Have you got any plans for next weekend, 19-21 June? If not why not head to to Dursley RFC for Dursley Rocks?
This annual event began as a showcase for local bands and is now a thriving weekend of live music, beer, food, camping and children's entertainment. With tickets to suit everyone, from the Friday night to a full weekend camping pass - Dursley Rocks provides the best summer weekend away, right on your doorstep.
And we are so excited that Army Benevolent Fund has been invited! It sounds like we're going to have fun!
Here is the ticket link:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/dursleyrugbyclub/1962231

We still can’t quite get over how much fun was had at this year’s Cateran Yomp! ⛺🌳This incredible event brings together ...
09/06/2026

We still can’t quite get over how much fun was had at this year’s Cateran Yomp! ⛺🌳

This incredible event brings together serving soldiers, veterans, and civilians from all over the world. This year was extra special, with a record-breaking number of participants and over 1,000 people crossing the start line.

Whether you take part solo or as a team, in fancy dress or full kit, the Cateran Yomp really is a one-of-a-kind experience.

But don’t just take our word for it… see for yourself! Registrations for the 2027 Cateran Yomp are now open. ➡️ https://events.armybenevolentfund.org/cateranyomp

📸 Ed Smith

We want to wish good luck to our fundraisers Julie and Rob who are taking on the Charity's Cateran Yomp this weekend. Th...
05/06/2026

We want to wish good luck to our fundraisers Julie and Rob who are taking on the Charity's Cateran Yomp this weekend. The Cateran Yomp is the biggest, toughest event of its kind. Every year, hundreds of Yompers gather in the Scottish wilderness to battle through the foothills of the Cairngorm Mountains, walking continuously for 54 miles over 24 hours. It's not for the faint-hearted!
If you would like to help them with their fundraising, here are the links:
https://events.armybenevolentfund.org/fundraisers/JulieBolitho/cateranyomp2026
https://events.armybenevolentfund.org/fundraisers/robertbolitho/cateranyomp2026

A big thank you to 29 Regt RLC who collected at Tesco Stroud on 30th May. They raised the grand sum of £350.79. We are v...
04/06/2026

A big thank you to 29 Regt RLC who collected at Tesco Stroud on 30th May. They raised the grand sum of £350.79.
We are very grateful to Cpl Gurung 55 Sqn (IC of the event), LCpl Freeman 55 Sqn, LCpl Lockett 69 Sqn, LCpl Rai 80 Sqn, LCpl Thebe 80 Sqn, Pte Berchie 59 Sqn and Pte Hughes 50 Sqn for fundraising for us.

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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