Talk will raise funds for Norfolk-based charity supporting Hospice Ethiopia

General The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL is to give a talk on his life as a soldier and leader.  Lord Richard Dannatt will be a familiar name to many as he is regularly asked by the media to comment on the Ukraine war and other military theatres. 

His talk, “Leading from the Front – Reflections on 40 Years a Soldier”, will give a fascinating insight into army matters.  He’s a man who has led an exciting life.  He was a soldier for forty years, concluding his army career as Chief of the General Staff (aka head of the army). He was Constable of the Tower of London from 2009 to 2016 and, in 2011, entered the House of Lords as a Crossbench member. 

Lord Dannatt is giving the talk to help raise funds for Hospice Ethiopia UK, the Norfolk charity that supports the Addis Ababa-based medical and training centre.  It will take place at Hevingham Village Hall (Brick Kiln Rd, Hevingham, Norwich NR10 5NL), a few miles north of Norwich, on Thursday 8th June at 7pm (doors open at 6.30pm).   Signed copies of Lord Dannatt’s second book, ‘Boots on the Ground – Britain and Her Army since 1945’ will be available to buy at the event, with all revenue from the sales going to Hospice Ethiopia.  There will also be a display of militaria from a Norfolk collection and light refreshments will be available.

After a career that took him all over the world, Lord Dannatt is now very much a Norfolk man.  He is President of Norfolk Churches Trust, YMCA Norfolk and Veterans Norfolk, and is Chairman of the Gloucester 1682 Trust (the trust set up to conserve Norfolk’s Royal shipwreck).  In his spare time, he loves watching cricket, football and rugby and plays golf, albeit “rather indifferently.”

Sue Mumford is chair of Hospice Ethiopia UK.  She says, “We are so grateful to Richard for agreeing to do this for us.  Anyone who has heard him speak will know how articulate and perceptive he is, and I know his talk will be stimulating, absorbing and thought-provoking.”    

Tickets are £11.01 (includes Eventbrite fee) and numbers are limited, so the advice is to book a place soon.  Tickets can be bought from Eventbrite at hospiceethiopia.org.uk/dannatt-talk or direct from Hospice Ethiopia UK, email info@hospiceethiopia.org.uk or call 01263 768699.  For more information on Hospice Ethiopia visit hospiceethiopia.org.uk.

More information:

Tim Morgan, The Publicity Works – tim@publicityworks.biz / 01263 761000 / 07947 280137

Sue Mumford, Hospice Ethiopia UK – info@hospiceethiopia.org.uk / 01263 768699

Notes:

Ethiopia has an estimated population of 117 million.  But only one hospice. Many thousands of people there have incurable diseases.  They are dying.  They are dying in distress, often in pain, with nowhere to turn.  Their only hope is Hospice Ethiopia.  Hospice Ethiopia provides free drugs, so that the dying have relief from pain.  It provides medical care to alleviate the worst symptoms.  It gives support, so that patients can care for themselves and, in many cases, their children.  Even more important, Hospice Ethiopia is training doctors, nurses and other medics about palliative care – care for the dying – so that they can help the thousands more who need it, across Ethiopia and in other African countries. 

Hospice Ethiopia has no government funding.  It relies wholly on donations.  Hospice Ethiopia UK was set up to help raised the funds it needs – around £70,000 per year.  100% of the money raised in the UK goes directly to Hospice Ethiopia.  So every penny makes a real difference.