A FORMER British Army officer who became Commandant of the Royal Military Academy will be giving a speech at a fundraising event in Stockbridge.  

Major-General Tim Toyne Sewell - Commandant RMA Sandhurst 1991-94, will be speaking about the importance of leadership in the context of the Ukraine situation at Stockbridge Town Hall on Friday, February 17, as part of a briefing evening run by the Stockbridge-Ukraine Group.

Tim’s military career (1959-1994) included being Chief of Staff Falkland Islands (1983) and commanding 19th Infantry Brigade, to training, amalgamating and creating a new army from the opposing Zimbabwean factions at the end of the civil war (1980).

Finally, he was Commandant of RMA Sandhurst, with its worldwide reputation for young officer leadership training.

As Commandant he paid interesting visits to the Russian Military Academy and to West Point. His distinguished post-military career made best use of his expertise in this field. He will talk about leadership in the Ukrainian conflict, and take questions.

Second speaker, Charlie Hutchinson, has spent six years in Eastern Ukraine deployed by the FCDO as a military observer to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.   Charlie will fascinate with his direct experiences in eastern Ukraine, both in the separatist areas and the government-held territory (Mariupol, at that time), together with his impressions from a recent return visit.

The evening will finish with inspirational Chilbolton mum, Harriet Asher, telling us why, desperate to help, she travelled to Poland but found herself crossing the border into Ukraine. There she quickly identified a need for safe travel for refugees. 

She set up a GoFundme page to pay for accommodation, coaches and air travel.   Harriet will update us on her ongoing humanitarian efforts, now sourcing items required on the ground in Ukraine, these have ranged from generators and medical supplies to warm clothing for orphans.

This is a fundraising event. Tickets are £10 and can be purchased from Ukraine - what is needed now? Tickets, Fri 17 Feb 2023 at 18:00 | Eventbrite 

Doors and bar open at 6pm, first speaker at 6.30pm. All proceeds from ticket sales and fundraising will be used to fund generators, medical supplies and other items required on the ground in Ukraine.