Help for the nation's heroes

Daniel Foster, who is studying hospitality and catering at MidKent College’s Medway Campus in Gillingham, said he had no idea his presentation, delivered during a college lesson in English Functional Skills, would have such a profound impact on his class.

17 year old Daniel, who had been asked by teachers to deliver a five-minute talk on a topic of his choice for the Functional Skills lesson, said: “I had seen so many stories in the news about soldiers not coming back from combat that I wanted to do something to help those who have survived the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I thought the class presentation provided an ideal opportunity to let my friends know about the charity Help for Heroes and what it does for soldiers and their families.

“I didn’t imagine we would end up working together to raise money for the charity, let alone such a huge sum.”

With the help of classmates Laura Scriven and Jess Selby, alongside college staff Sean Stratton, Tracy Paterson and Gary Norman, Daniel and his peers organised a charity raffle and cake sale for the cause. They then asked if a Spanish-themed dinner being organised as part of their course could be used to raise further funds.

Student Laura Scriven said: “We couldn’t believe it when the college agreed to donate all the money made from our Spanish evening to the charity. We invited seven real-life heroes all stationed at Brompton Barracks to be guests of honour at the event.”

She added: “It was a great night and we raised a massive sum.”