FAMILIAR faces from reality TV series The Only Way is Essex sat down for cake and a cuppa with Service veterans to raise money for SSAFA, the UK’s oldest Armed Forces charity.
Chloe Sims, James “Arg” Argent, Lauren Pope, Georgia Kousoulou, Tommy Mallet, and Liam “Gatsby” Blackwell got to chat with a number of ex-Forces personnel – four of whom served in the Second World War – during their visit to SSAFA’s Southend Veterans Club as part of the charity’s Big Brew Up fundraising campaign.
Alfred Smith (98), who was evacuated from Dunkirk and took part in the D-Day landings, Dambusters mechanic Bernard Mabey (93), Royal Navy Serviceman Stan Marsh (93), Dougie Shelley (92), who served in the Arctic Convoys, and Army personnel Patrick Nixon (81), Ian Thomas (72) and Paul Bennett (69) were among the veterans present for the event, which was captured on camera and broadcast on ITVBe.
Jonathan Sandall, SSAFA’s director of fundraising, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the cast of TOWIE for joining our military veterans at the Southend Veterans’ Club for a ‘Big Brew Up’.
“A Big Brew Up is a great way to catch up with friends and family, try your hand at baking and raise money that will make a real difference to those we support. Your donations will help our serving men and women, veterans, and their families with the challenges they may face during and after life in the Armed Forces.”
The Big Brew Up campaign encourages friends, families, and colleagues to come together and host a tea party to raise vital funds to support members of the military community who are in need.
SSAFA’s Big Brew Up campaign runs from 28th May – 1st July. Order your fundraising pack at ssafa.org.uk/bigbrewup today.
You can find SSAFA on Twitter (@SSAFA), Facebook (@SSAFAOfficial) and Instagram (@ssafa_armedforcescharity) and use #BigBrewUp.