Welcome to the JSV Eastern Region Web Site

Chairman’s Message.

Fellow Veterans,

I hope you all had an excellent Christmas and New Year, although I am sure by now it seems a distant memory.

Despite the weather continuing to be on the cold side of late it is clearly a vast improvement on the arctic conditions we endured at the end of December through to mid-January.I trust you all came through this unscathed, that the worst is now behind us and that we can look forward to longer and warmer days in the weeks ahead.

2009 was another successful year for Veterans Associations across the Eastern Region with many of you involved in a variety of events and activities organised by your local committees. At a Regional level the golf section, under the guidance of our treasurer, Graham Caughey, was well supported and continued to attract new members. This section is open to all veterans and their partners across the Region, so if you want to get involved in 2010 do not hesitate to contact Graham ( graham.caughey@jsveast.co.uk) or Myself ( ian.fidler@jsveast.co.uk). The fun dance weekend and the ever popular turkey and tinsel lunch were very well attended and will be arranged again this year. As always the re-union lunches received good reviews and continue to be a highlight in our activity programme.

Looking forward to the year ahead I am pleased to report that membership numbers are up and that funding for the Region and all Local Associations has once again been made available from Sainsburys. In the current economic climate this is particularly encouraging and demonstrates a commitment to retired employees that very few other companies are prepared to make.2010 will also see the launch of the newly formed mid-Essex Association in February and Enfield in March. Fund raising for our Veterans Welfare Fund will be a priority again this year. In response to feedback from committee members across the region we will be forging links between Local Associations in order to swap ideas and provide support for shared activities and events.

I would urge those of you with computer access to make use of our internet site(www.jsveast.co.uk) and to forward any information or views you would like to share to Cicely Pateman( region@jsveast.co.uk ) who will ensure that these are updated onto the site. I would also ask that you provide your local committee with up to date e-mail addresses as this greatly assists in reducing the administration cost of contacting you.

On a final note I would remind you that your local committees are working on action plans for the year ahead, but it is only with your involvement that these will be successful. I would therefore encourage you to put forward your ideas and to lend your support for these activities where possible. Hopefully I will meet with many of you at the forthcoming reunion meetings, but in the meantime I wish you well.

Posted by Ian Fidler 2nd February 2010