Real and Smooth Radio raise over £1million for Help For Heroes

Each station within the group dedicated a day or programming each year – Help for Heroes Day – to increase awareness and raise funds for the charity, which has helped injured servicemen and women and their families since 2007.

Real and Smooth Group Programme Director John Simons handed over a cheque to H4H co-founders Bryn and Emma Parry to mark the one million and five thousand pounds raised by the stations listeners since 2009.

Joining them to receive the cheque was Paul Findlay, from the Help for Heroes Band of Brothers, who has received support from the charity after losing a leg during active service in Afghanistan.

The total was boosted by a money-can’t-buy auction of items and once in a lifetime experiences from Ricky Hatton and Mike Tyson boxing gloves to tickets to the X-Factor final. Music legend and Smooth presenter Pete Waterman donated the highest yielding item to Help for Heroes Day 2012 – a personal studio session to record a classic PWL Hit Factory track.

Funds raised by Real and Smooth’s Help for Heroes Day have gone onto to help fund the many recovery support programmes, including adapted sports and leisure equipment, assistance with adaptation accommodation and vehicles as well as financial support for families during loved-ones treatment. The money also goes towards retraining programmes that assist servicemen and women in building new lives after leaving the forces through injury.

The Help for Heroes Day annual fundraiser also gave corporate groups and businesses the opportunity to show their support – in 2010, Land Rover gave their 1 millionth Range Rover to H4H; the charity raised an £152,500 through the Real and Smooth Radio auction for the car.

John Simons, Real and Smooth Radio Group Programme Director, said: “To meet many of the injured Service men and women that receive help and support from Help for Heroes is a very humbling experience. This is a very poignant time when we have all been thinking about the war on terror, and listeners to our Real and Smooth stations across the UK have shown amazing support for Help for Heroes.

“Their donations have made a significant difference to the lives of many of our wounded heroes.”

Bryn Parry CEO and Co-Founder of Help for Heroes added: “We believe everyone in this country understands that when people put on a uniform on our behalf to defend our country and are wounded; we are here to help them. Now we are beginning to think about a time when the war in Afghanistan will be over and we will see our troops coming home so it would be natural to feel we’ve got peace. But for some of our men and women their battles will be just beginning.

“The continued support shown by Smooth Radio, Real Radio and Real XS listeners and staff in their Help for Heroes Day, especially given the current financial strains placed on everyone, is fantastic. The generosity is simply wonderful and we say thank you on behalf of all the service men and women they are helping.”

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