EC&O Venues Earls Court And Olympia

Over 700 participants, including active combat servicemen & women and musicians fromThe Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and the US Army, plus skilled historical American Civil War re-enactors and much more. Narrated live by Anthony Andrews.

Earls Court: 2-4 December

Tickets on Sale 10am Friday 10 June

Presented by ABF The Soldiers' Charity in association with The Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity and The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

“Ours is not just a special relationship, it is an essential relationship – for us and for the world.”  
US President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron

London, 7 June 2011: ABF The Soldiers’ Charity in association with The Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity and The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund are delighted to announce the exciting details of The British Military Tournament 2011, supported by Boeing.  Taking place at Earls Court, London, from 2 – 4 December, The British Military Tournament will build on the phenomenal success of its return last year, with a spectacular new show themed around the “special relationship” between the United Kingdom and the United States.

The British Military Tournament is the biggest fundraising event in aid of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and last year raised essential and much-needed funds.  This year it will be tri-service, and will also benefit The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force charities.

This year’s Tournament will tell the 250-year military history between the United Kingdom and the United States of America through performances of military precision, re-enactments, words, music and state-of-the-art audiovisual in one of the most spectacular and largest theatrical productions of its kind.  The choice of the theme is prescient given the recent celebrated visit by President Obama who along with Prime Minister Cameron affirmed: “Ours is not just a special relationship, it is an essential relationship – for us and for the world.”

The British Military Tournament 2011 has few rivals when it comes to spectacle and live drama. It is set to be the most breathtaking performance of military theatre anywhere in the world and will be narrated live by acclaimed British actor Anthony Andrews. From the American War of Independence to the operation in Afghanistan today, the story of our “special relationship” will be told throughout a two hour extravaganza.  The show will feature:

• Over 700 participants, including active combat servicemen and women plus musicians from the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and the US Army, and skilled historical
American Civil War re-enactors
• Over 100 horses and modern military vehicles
• The legendary Field Gun Run, featuring two crews from Wellington College battling it out in a dramatic, nail-biting contest
• The iconic Musical Drive of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery
• Death-defying stunts from the White Helmets (Royal Corp of Signals Motorcycle
Display Team)
• Special appearances from the US Army Drill Team and the US Army Europe Band & Chorus
• The Bands of the Scots, Irish & Welsh Guards, The Band of the Royal Marines (Lympstone), who will have just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, and the Central Band of the Royal Air Force
• An expanded Skill-at-Arms sequence, featuring the gymnastics display team of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, trick riding by the Household Cavalry, shooting from the saddle by the Lancers Display Team, jumping through fire performed by the Metropolitan Police Activity Ride and lots more
• A dramatic recreation of a scene in Helmand Province, Afghanistan by soldiers of the Royal Engineers, the Royal Air Force Regiment and the Military Support & Stabilisation Group

General Sir David Richards, the Chief of the Defence staff said:

“The British Military Tournament is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the Armed Forces.  In 2011 the organisers are building on last year’s event and including the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.  Last year’s efforts were a great success as a spectacle for the public and in raising money for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and I am delighted that it will be held again this year with an even wider participation and, now, to the benefit of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund as well as The Soldiers’ Charity.
 
Given the nature of our ongoing operations, it is only appropriate that the theme is a celebration of the close military ties between the United Kingdom and the United States. These ties have never been stronger.  The participation in this year’s event of soldiers from the United States Army Europe and the United States Army Drill Team will be very welcome.”
 
In addition to the spectacular show the exhibition area at Earls Court will be an integral part of the British Military Tournament.  Visitors will be able to enjoy a whole host of fun activities at the Armed Forces Activity Area, whilst a shopping area with a mix of retail and charity stands will have something on offer for all.  The exhibition also provides the opportunity to meet members of the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force and to have hands on experience of some of the latest military kit. 

Each day doors open two hours prior to performance to allow access to the exhibition area and a variety of concession stands.

Tickets are priced from £29.75 with concessions available for children and wheelchair users.
On sale to the general public at 10am this Friday, June 10, from:
www.britishmilitarytournament.com or:
Ticketmaster 0844 248 5026 / Earls Court Box Office 0870 903 9033/ See Tickets 0871 620 7051

For further information, please contact LD Communications:
Emma Elwood or Rebecca Gibbs - 0207 439 7222
emma.elwood@ldcommunications.co.uk / rebecca.gibbs@ldcommunications.co.uk

Notes to editors:

ABF THE SOLDIERS’ CHARITY

ABF The Soldiers’ Charity supports soldiers, former soldiers and their families in times of need.  We have recently seen a year on year rise in people seeking our help and expect this to increase with the continuing operations in Afghanistan. Even when a soldier leaves the Army they are still part of our family and eligible for our help. The scope of our work is huge. Half of our money is given direct to individuals to help in areas such as debt relief, mobility assistance, education bursaries, care home fees and respite breaks. The other half is given as grants to other charities.

For the last 66 years, The Soldiers’ Charity has been the national charity of the Army, working with the Regimental and Corps charitable funds to give immediate, practical help to our soldiers and veterans. With your support, The Soldiers’ Charity will always be there for soldiers, for life.

For more information on ABF The Soldiers’ Charity visit www.soldierscharity.org
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/soldierscharity  

THE ROYAL NAVY & ROYAL MARINES CHARITY

The RNRMC’s aim is to give a better quality of life to serving and former Naval personnel.

The Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity was set up in February 2007 to form an umbrella organisation for naval sector charities.  With one uniting voice, it provides unparalleled support to serving and ex service personnel, as well as their dependants. 

The RNRMC’s support to its beneficiaries can be split into five areas:

• Dependants grants:  In the event of death-in-service we provide immediate relief in the form of a grant of £12,000 within 48 hours to the next of kin.
• Benevolence:  We make large grants to charities that support service personnel, providing care to sailors, marines, their children and families throughout their lives.
• Amenities:  Every deployed ship and RM unit receives a grant to their welfare fund twice a year.  Large grants are also given to establishments and expeditions – from a bowling alley in Faslane, to support for the Naval Outdoor Centre Germany.
• Sports:  We help our athletes prepare for the Olympics and Paralympics and 39 different Sporting Associations receive grants from our Sports Charity.
• Prizes and Awards:  All main prize funds at training establishments, and the Herbert Lott prizes, come from the RNRMC, helping to keep people focused and at the top of their game.

THE ROYAL AIR FORCE BENEVOLENT FUND

The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund is the RAF’s leading welfare charity, providing financial, practical and emotional support to all members of the RAF family. We are here for serving and former members of the RAF, as well as their partners and dependants, whenever they need us. We help members of the RAF family deal with a wide range of issues: from childcare and relationship difficulties to injury and disability, and from financial hardship and debt to illness and bereavement. For more information visit www.rafbf.org.
LEAD SPONSOR
BOEING
The Boeing Company is honoured to be, once again, the lead sponsor of the British Military Tournament and to support the soldiers and the families of those whose lives have changed fundamentally through their courageous service to this country.
Boeing has supported British armed forces for decades with capabilities such as the Chinook, C-17, and the WAH-1 Apache attack helicopter, as well as logistics, training and support programmes. The company is also proud of its long standing partnership with British industry, through a network of over 250 companies across the civil and defence sectors, providing employment for thousands of people. The company’s collaboration with leading British universities is also contributing to the research base, creating new skills and developing manufacturing processes on which the prosperity of this country will depend in the future.

ASSOCIATE SPONSOR
AEGIS
Aegis is delighted to confirm its support as an associate sponsor of The British Military Tournament 2011. Following the success of last year’s event, Aegis will be supporting the event as both an associate sponsor and as the sponsor of the Field Gun Run, which will be competed by Wellington College.  Not only is Aegis a great supporter of this event and its reintroduction into the social calendar, but we are also incredibly supportive of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and the essential work that they do to give lifetime support to serving and retired soldiers and their families in times of need.
 
About Aegis
Aegis is a leading private security and risk management company with offices in the UK, USA, Iraq, Afghanistan and Bahrain. Our security and advisory divisions provide a comprehensive service covering all areas of the globe, combining the proven track record and expertise to enable our clients - multinationals, governments, international agencies and many others - to minimise risk and maximise opportunity.

ASSOCIATE SPONSOR
HP
As the world’s largest technology company, HP is proud to support the British Military Tournament 2011 as a sign of our commitment to celebrating the skill, bravery and excellence of our Armed Forces.  We bring together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world.

In defence in the UK, HP leads the consortium delivering the Defence Information Infrastructure programme, Europe’s largest secure infrastructure project. HP technology is used for command & control systems, specialist applications and provides UK forces with NATO-compatible information sharing at the frontline — ensuring our soldiers, sailors and airmen can do their jobs. HP also gives them and their families the support they need by providing the systems to manage pay, pensions and administration for over 900,000 serving and retired members of the UK Armed Forces.