DOUGLAS BADER FOUNDATION AMBASSADORS are acknowledged for their outstanding support of the charity.

We are greatly indebted to them all.

• PHIL PACKER

Phil Packer

“To be asked to be an Ambassador for a Trust set up in memory of a man who epitomises inspiration and courage and whowas a forerunner in displaying what you can do and not what you cannot, is an absolute honour.  To support the Douglas Bader Foundation and in particular the Bader Braves initiative, giving children with limb loss and other disabilities their first experience of flight in a light aircraft, fills me with immense pleasure and delight.  Giving children this opportunity provides self-belief, self-confidence, excitement and sews a seed of what they can do; I hope that those introduced to the Foundation will support this initiative and the aeronautical industry and pilots throughout the country will continue to be involved and assist to give more children this wonderful opportunity.”

Phil Packer MBE  Founder of the British Inspiration Trust and Ambassador for the Douglas Bader Foundation

• DAVID GARDNER (entry to follow)
• ADAM LAYER

“I am very proud to be an ambassador of the Douglas Bader Foundation. I have been drawn into the world of aviation head first, and have felt first hand the ecstatic feeling of being in the air above the earth, and taking control of a light aircraft. By giving young people in difficult circumstances the opportunity to do this, the foundation provides them with an experience they will never forget. I remember after my first flight, thinking; ‘if I can do this, I can do anything”. I have been inspired, and I hope many more children can be.

Adam Layer. Amputee, Aircraft Engineer and Ambassador for the Douglas Bader Foundation

• MARGARET BIGGS (entry to follow)
• WYN JENKINS

Wyn Jenkins

“I remember distinctly the first time I saw a false leg – I was 7 years old.  I know that, because I was attending a 7^th birthday party at a friend’s house and he was the same age.  I can’t describe my emotion at the time but it must have been a shock as I can still vividly see the image of this “thing” against the wall with a shoe stuck on the end.

This negative mental image stayed with me until I went to the cinema to see “Reach for the Sky”.  All my friends went and being children of post-war Britain we were riveted by the heroics of our pilots in their Spitfires and Hurricanes – we watched all the war films of that era.  I remember squirming when Douglas Bader found out he’d lost his legs in the aeroplane crash but I also vividly remember how my feelings of unease changed during the film to one of admiration as I watched this hero battle not only the enemy but his disability.  Watching the screen adaptation depicting his enormous strength of character and the way he overcame adversity was a significant moment in my life – it’s still one of my favourite films and I’ve shown it to my children and grandchildren who also love it!

Imagine how I felt therefore when, by a strange quirk of fate, I lost my own leg and ended up meeting members of Sir Douglas’ family at a meeting in Bath to discuss ways in which the Foundation could assist in setting up a Peer Support programme to help new amputees and their families.  For me, it was a huge pleasure to be amongst people who were determined to carry on the good work of Sir Douglas who spent much of his time helping other amputees and people with congenital limb-loss.

When I was invited to become an Ambassador of the Foundation I felt extremely honoured and felt a connection that cannot be adequately described.

The Foundation represents the spirit of a man who had a ‘can do, will do’ attitude to his own life but who was also selflessly committed to improving the quality of life for people living life with limb loss.  It’s a charity that I am proud and honoured with which to be associated”

Wyn Jenkins – Ambassador for the Douglas Bader Foundation