A soldier's ultimate sacrifice, though made for his or her country, ultimately belongs to the soldier's loved ones.  The Crown Group offered their support to the Forces Children's Trust a charity devoted to helping children in need whose father or mother has died, or has been seriously injured, whilst serving as a member of the British Armed Forces.

The Crown Group invited The Forces Children’s Trust to their luxurious villa, Casa Monte Cristo, in the picturesque Western Algarve. The holiday  Under sunny Algarvian sky’s a group of 5 widows and their 10 children enjoyed a brief respite. was designed to give families a break from the difficulties of every day life with an emphasis on mutual contact and support.

Flights, accommodation and all their dining needs were taken care of. A whole host of trips and activities were arranged during the four day stay, including visits to beaches, Slide and Splash and the local towns as well as relaxation time spent at the villa with games organised poolside. Mums were treated to spa therapies and an evening off at the company’s restaurant MONTE’s, set in the foothills of Boavista golf course, Lagos, while the children were looked after by staff back at the villa. 

Russell Morgan, Chairman of the Crown Group had this to say on his company’s support of The Forces Children’s Trust, “To help these families is an honour.  In losing their husbands and fathers they have made the ultimate sacrifice and we wanted to support them in any way we could.”

The charity works in partnership with the families and services associations. They vow to recognise each child as special and unique and act with compassion and sensitivity. They provide help and support in educational and social fields where children can meet and interact with others in similar situations and they aim to assist each child to develop the skills needed for life.

Founder of the trust, Denny Wise comments, “We are very grateful to the Crown Group. Their gift of a holiday to these mums and their children really meant a lot to them. Our charity provides a way of letting families who have lost loved ones in tragic circumstances know that their sacrifice is recognized and they are not alone. I was deeply moved by the stories of soldiers killed in action and of their families' grief and pride. Men gave up the comforts of civilian life to serve their country and some never even had the privilege of meeting their newborn babies. Wives are left to raise children alone and children to grow up without their fathers.  The level of their sacrifice is very humbling and I wanted to do something to help the families of our fallen hero’s.” 

Another trip to Casa Monte Cristo is scheduled later on in the year courtesy of The Crown Group along with a London theatre trip due to take place on Saturday 22nd November 2008 for over 100 widows and children from the Navy, Royal Marines, Army and RAF.

The charity needs to raise a considerable amount of money to continue the campaign and support these children. For further information or to donate to The Forces Children’s Trust Telephone 01737 361077 or check website www.forceschildrenstrust.org

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Denny Wise

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