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We received a wonderful letter of thanks from Julian Allen who received a specialist bed to assist with his recovery pathway, following surgery on his back.

Julian served in the 2nd Battalion Light Infantry, and injured his back in Germany which, at the time, appeared innocuous. However, following several tours in Northern Ireland the problem escalated in terms of severity.

Having left the Army, Julian underwent surgery in June 2016 and a specialist bed was purchased to assist in his recovery through the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund.

The benefits of quality rest and recuperation were felt almost immediately as Julian progressed from a wheelchair to walking with a stick a short time after surgery.

Julian said:

“Thank you very much for the help with funding for my new bed, it’s helped a great deal since my back operation. I am very grateful and humbled and words cannot say enough, but I will never forget.

My story, compared to others, is nothing and I have seen former servicemen worse then me and what you guys do in the name of David is amazing ..thank you again.”

Help us support more personnel and veterans living with life-changing physical injuries and psychological trauma, as part of David’s legacy, by donating today

Looking to get in shape for 2018? Why not make a start now and prepare for our Captain David Seath 5K Memorial Run, which will take place on Sunday 22 April 2018.

By virtue of putting a fitness plan together now provides the perfect excuse to enjoy that extra mince pie, tempting party food or one or two festive drinks.

There will, of course, be times when you question your sanity in the next couple of months as you venture out into the Duloch Tundra and gaze at the warm inviting glow of many a festive scene.

However, the truth will come out during the thaw and it will all prove worth the dedication and resilience by the time the spring sunshine shows itself, which shall contribute an immense sense of satisfaction.

The event will return for its second year to Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline which warmly welcomes runners, walkers and dog-joggers of all ages and abilities to complete three laps of the park run circuit.

The event has been organised to commemorate the life of Captain David Seath, who tragically died running the 2016 London Marathon, and raise funds for the memorial fund established in his name.

So far, The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund has raised over £273,000 and provided two-hundred and twenty welfare grants to personnel and veterans living with life-changing physical injuries and psychological trauma.

Gary Seath said:

“Last year we were overwhelmed by the support from the local and, indeed, wider community keen to joins us at Pittencrieff Park to commemorate David’s life, which contributed to a wonderful sense of solidarity.

“We are delighted that the Captain David Seath 5K Memorial Run will return for its second year and we look forward to welcoming everyone, once again, for a very special event in David’s memory.”

To book your place, please follow this link

 

Our sincere thanks to Ewen Brand, from Yellow Cafe, who recently completed the Men’s 10K Edinburgh event and raised £340.99 in support of The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund.

Both Ewen and Meghan (Mr & Mrs Yellow Cafe) as well as their boys run regular special cake promotions and collection box campaigns in support of David’s fund and we are incredibly grateful for their continued support.

Ewen posted on Yellow Cafe’s website:

“It has taken a wee while to count all the money but we are delighted to say that from the Edinburgh 10k Mr Yellow ran we raised a massive £340.99, for The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund.

“Thank you all so much to every customer that put money in the charity tin, to the staff who donated their tips and to my friends and family who personally sponsored me. Your money does make a difference.”

Captain David Seath Memorial Fund beneficiary, Ben Norfolk, has very kindly provided permission to share his recent letter of thanks with us, having received financial support to complete a welding training course as part of his recovery pathway.

Ben said:

“I was involved in an incident at Camp Bastion in 2008 during my time as a Chinook Engineer & I saw on a few occasions the effects of conflict. This slowly took its toll on me and in 2012 I was diagnosed with Complex PTSD, Anxiety and Depression.

“As my condition developed & my mental health deteriorated, I lost all confidence and self esteem. For over two years during my treatment, I felt lost & like I had no direction or purpose. During this time I completely stripped my race mini back down to component parts, mirroring how I saw my life going.

“After a few shall we call ‘life defining moments’ and a stay in hospital, I started to recover & began to rebuild my mini, finding a new enjoyment in the welding jobs I needed to do. Concentrating on keeping that tiny little pool of molten aluminium moving with the torch in one hand, feeding in filler wire with the other hand and controlling the amount of current with a foot pedal is a real test of co-ordination, but the results can be fantastic and give me a sense of achievement in something again.

“To complete the training course has been invaluable in allowing me to gain the knowledge to set up the welding machine how I need it, rather than through trial and error. I am currently doing some work for a Vintage Bentley restorer, so ‘Right First Time’ is definitely necessary!

“I am also involved with (H4H supported) Mission Motorsport – the Forces charity that uses motorsport to engage wounded/injured/sick military personnel in activities that assist recovery & retraining. They have supported me a great deal in recent years with practical help and guidance on my journey back to wherever my health will end up & introduced me to new friends in similar situations who just know how others feel – that acceptance has been key.

“Whilst this may not be exactly how you envisioned David’s legacy to be realised(!), I hope I have managed to portray a little of what it means to feel rediscover life and not feel like an outcast on the fringes of society, as poor mental health can make people sometimes feel.

“To deal with obstacles and not give in to adversity was something I’m sure David would have become accustomed to during his military career and for you to create such a legacy in his name shows you also have; the assistance you offered me has given me the opportunity to do the same.”

The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund has now raised over £273,000 and has supported over two-hundred and twenty beneficiaries rebuild their lives following life-changing physical and psychological wounds as a result of service in the British Armed Forces.

Beneficiaries have used the financial support provided as a means to purchase specialist rehabilitation and sports therapy equipment, enable respite breaks and PTSD therapies as well as facilitate supported employment placements, training courses and the setting up of businesses.

Help us ensure David’s legacy supporting more personnel and veterans living with life-changing physical and psychological wounds by donating in support of the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund.

Gary Seath was kindly invited to deliver a presentation about the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund to the Rotary Club of West Fife on Tuesday 28 November 2017.

Gary said:

“It was an honour to visit to Rotary Club of West Fife and talk about what we have been achieved so far through the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund, and my sincere thanks for their warm welcome, hospitality and generous donation.”

The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund has now raised over £273,000 and has supported over two-hundred and twenty beneficiaries rebuild their lives following life-changing physical and psychological wounds as a result of service in the British Armed Forces.

Beneficiaries have used the financial support provided as a means to purchase specialist rehabilitation and sports therapy equipment, enable respite breaks and PTSD therapies as well as facilitate supported employment placements, training courses and the setting up of businesses.

It is, indeed, thanks to groups within the local community and beyond, such as Rotary, that such an incredible legacy has been established and we are incredibly grateful for the generous donation made by the club on the evening.

Rotary Club of West Fife President Neil Spriddle said:

“We were delighted that Gary came along to our Club and gave us an interesting and very informative presentation regarding the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund. We were very impressed with worthwhile works that are able to be supported by the Memorial Fund, and would be happy where possible to lend support to the Memorial Fund in the future.”

We are delighted to announce that our recent #PubQuiz has raised a fantastic £1300 in support of the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund, which will support personnel and veterans living with life-changing physical and psychological wounds following service in the British Armed Forces.

The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund has now raised over £270,000 and supported over two-hundred and twenty beneficiaries who have used the financial support to purchase specialist rehabilitation and sports therapy equipment, enable PTSD therapies and respite breaks as well as facilitate supported employment placements, training courses and the setting up of businesses.

Gary Seath said:

“I was delighted to welcome over one-hundred and twenty guests to the Garvock House Hotel which contributed to a wonderful atmosphere and sense of occasion. The quiz was keenly contested with plenty of friendly banter between the teams and there were many impressive performances on the evening.

“We are overwhelmed by the continued support from the local and wider community who so generously attend of our events and we can’t thank everyone enough for supporting David’s legacy rebuilding the lives of those who have experienced physical and psychological wounds as a result of service in the British Armed Forces.”

Following seven challenging question and picture rounds, which focused on topics including film, tv, sport, music and general knowledge, it was Les Quizerables who emerged victorious with a grand total of 52 points.

Joyce Leighton and Frances Turner from Les Quizerables said:

“Thank you for a wonderful evening. This is the first time I have been to one of your events and it won’t be the last. What an amazing, friendly group of people you all are. I loved hearing all about David and how his fund is helping so many people.”

“Thank you, a great night had by all and a great way to raise money and awareness. So well organised and surrounded by a friendly bunch of folks. Can’t wait until next year!”

Our guests also has the opportunity to bid for a wide range of auction items, including signed Celtic FC and Edinburgh Rugby shirts as well as Fairmont St Andrews spa tickets. Our thanks also to a number of local businesses who generously donated raffle prizes, including Bowlplex, Adventure Golf Island and Tam Waugh Builders.

The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund Pub Quiz will return next year. For further information, please contact gary.seath@outlook.com

Roch Rochester served a total of twenty-two years in the Royal Artillery/Royal Horse Artillery and injuries sustained in service, which included a broken neck and a spinal compression as well as the subsequent reconstruction of both his knees, led his medical discharge in 2002.

Since leaving the Armed Forces, Roch has recovered sufficiently to regain a modicum of mobility but continues to also deal with the psychological effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Roch received a specialised hand-bike, thanks to a welfare grant from the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund, to enable him to enjoy the great outdoors with his family was well as enjoy the benefits of exercise.

Roch said:

“I struggle to walk so the hand-bike lets me do ‘dad stuff’ with my daughters as I can’t ride a normal bike. These pictures were taken during a recent cycle with my daughter in Dartmoor. My sincere thanks to the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund.”

Help us ensure David’s legacy continues supporting personnel and veterans living with life-changing physical injuries and psychological trauma by donating today

We are delighted to announce that the Yjoti Yoga Yogathon has raised over £1200 in support of the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund.

The funds raised will support personnel and veterans of the British Armed Forces living with life-changing physical and psychological trauma in service of their country through the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund.

Since it’s establishment in May 2016, as a result of Captain David’s tragic death running the London Marathon, the fund has raised over £260,000 and supported over two hundred beneficiaries rebuild their lives.

Jyoti Yoga is a Scottish based teacher training school which was founded in 2016 and directed by Morag Wilson, Sue Turner and Carmelina Griffin. The training school creates pathways and opportunities for people across all sectors of the community to experience the health, mental wellness and the holistic value of yoga.

Morag Wilson said:

“The Yogathon has been a truly fitting way to finish the 2016/17 Yoga Teacher Training Course. Working through 108 rounds of the traditional Sun sequence, which equates to around 2100 Yoga postures.

“It was fun and so worth doing – supporting this cause and supporting our fellow student Libby Seath, the Mother of David. We have all become so close through the course and this really brought the group together in love and support for the family and to those ex service men and women who will benefit from this event.”

Libby Seath said:

“Sunday’s Yogathon was an absolutely amazing day; the perfect culmination to a year’s training with Morag Wilson’s JYOTI teacher training school. Morag has been my yoga tutor for over 17 years and suggested the fundraiser a few months ago.

“Everyone embraced the idea and there was a real sense of fun on the day with several people dressing up! I want to extend a huge thank you to Morag, Carmelina and Sue, the tutors and to all my fabulous companion teachers that have shown me such love and support during the last year.

“Thanks also, to all those who have shown their support, in donating money to help wounded injured and sick veterans, who will then be supported to rebuild their lives with grants from The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund.”
Lindy Patterson said:

“Taking part in the yogathon in support of the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund was a fitting way to mark the completion of our year long yoga course. The day was both uplifting and emotional. We have grown, healed and changed throughout our course and this mirrors the great work the memorial fund does and the changes those helped through the fund experience.”

Lisa Mulube said:

“A great way to end our yoga training, coming together and dedicating an afternoon to raise funds for such a special charity. Yoga is about that union of light and spirit and that was evident in the fun, atmosphere and determination of all the Jyoti yogis that took part.”

The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund worked in partnership with Lothian Veterans Centre, Inspire, Educate and Develop Training Ltd and the Royal Marines to deliver an experiential day for young people through Police Scotland’s KickStart programme.

The event was very much about the Legacy of Captain David Seath, an officer of 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, who tragically died of a cardiac arrest running the 2016 London Marathon. The programme included CPR and Defibrillator training as well as an insightful presentation from the Royal Marines as a means to develop vital life-saving skills as well as aspiration.

Gary Seath, Founder of the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund, delivered the CPR and defibrillator training aspects of day in partnership with Steven Williams from Lothian Veterans Centre, Inspire, Educate and Develop Training Ltd.

Cam, from the Royal Marines, described to the young people what it means to be a Royal Marine with regards to the high levels of fitness, dedication and discipline required as well as the diverse range of careers available within the corp.

Gary said:

“Over 30,000 people will experience a cardiac arrest in local communities across the UK each year and to have provided this group of young people with the confidence and vital life-saving skills to respond and react confidently is an important aspect of David’s legacy.

“David experienced a cardiac arrest running the London Marathon and, despite receiving instant, expert medical attention, he tragically died later in hospital. I think providing young people with the opportunity to learn about vital life-saving skills is so important and I certainly hope we can deliver further sessions in the future.

“Today was also about planting the seed of aspiration and the presentation from the Royal Marines introduced the prospect of a career in the armed forces. It was very pleasing to hear that one of the young people now wishes to become a Royal Marine Sniper.

“It’s been a privilege to work with Callum and Fiona, from Police Scotland, as well as work with Steven (Lothian Veterans Centre, Inspire/Educate and Develop Training Ltd) and Cam (Royal Marines) and I am delighted to have heard such positive feedback from the young people with regards to both sessions.”

We are delighted to announce that Jyoti Yoga will host a ‘Yogathon’ event in support the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund next month.

Jyoti Yoga is a Scottish based teacher training school which was founded in 2016 and directed by Morag Wilson, Sue Turner and Carmelina Griffin.

The training school creates pathways and opportunities for people across all sectors of the community to experience the health, mental wellness and the holistic value of yoga.

Morag Wilson said:

“A Yogathon is 108 rounds of the Sun Sequence, which is traditional series of yoga moves used by all disciplines of Yoga. This can be a combined group effort, or some may wish to do it as individuals.

“I have known David’s mum for many years who has recently completed the Jyoti Yoga Teahcer Training Course. I greatly admire what the family have achieved so far in terms of David’s legacy so it made perfect sense to organise a Yogathon in support of the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund.”

The funds raised will support personnel and veterans of the British Armed Forces living with life-changing physical and psychological trauma in service of their country through the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund.

Since it’s establishment in May 2016, as a result of Captain David’s tragic death running the London Marathon, the fund has raised over £260,000 and supported over two hundred beneficiaries rebuild their lives.

Beneficiaries have used the funds to purchase specialist rehabilitation and sports therapy equipment, facilitate PTSD therapies as well as enable respite breaks, training courses , supported employment placements and the setting up of businesses.

Gary Seath said:

“Positive health and well-being is one of the fundamental pillars of yoga. As an Officer in 29 Commando Regiment RA, David also believed passionately in supporting the positive health and well-being of the troops under his command, both on operations in Afghanistan, the Middle East and at home.

“Another interesting commonality is mental preparation, which is so important prior to embarking on tours of duty as well as developing coping mechanisms for combat stress as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

“Many of our beneficiaries are in a much better place, both emotionally and physically, thanks to the financial support they have received from The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund and we offer our sincere thanks to Jyoti Yoga, who also work ever so hard in promoting positive health and well-being within the local community.”