Historic milestone as 100,000 sign up for Tickets For Troops
To celebrate the landmark, troops were given a box for the 4th cricket Test match between England and India at the Kia Oval in London on Sunday.
They did a lap of honour during the afternoon tea break.
Chairman Lord Marland said: “It is remarkable that we have managed to reach out to such a number of troops in such a short time.
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Hide Ad“It just goes to show the level of appreciation among the public of the work of our Armed Forces.
“We must thank all of the organisations that have donated tickets over the last few years especially Surrey CCC who have provided such hospitality.”
Samantha Cameron, wife of the Prime Minister and a patron of the charity said: “I was thrilled to hear the news and congratulate the team at Tickets For Troops for all their hard work over the last two years to achieve this fantastic milestone. “
Thanks to the support of many organisations, Tickets For Troops has been able to give provide free tickets to a wide range of events, from family days out at Alton Towers, to tickets to next year’s London Olympics and Paralympics Games.
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Hide AdPatron Christina Schmid, who lost her husband, Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid GC, in Afghanistan having defused over 70 IEDs, said: “Tickets For Troops has well and truly touched the heart of the nation as well as making a fundamental difference to the lives of members of the Armed Forces and, equally important, their families.
“They feel recognised and respected more than ever before and Tickets For Troops has played a vital role in that.
“This is a fantastic achievement in such a short time.”
The charity was launched at the O2 arena in 2009 to provide members of the Armed Forces with free tickets for major music, sporting, and cultural events, including football, cricket, rugby and theatre performances.
Since launching it has provided more than 270,000 tickets to troops who have registered on the website – www.ticketsfortroops.org.uk.
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Hide AdThis initiative has attracted maximum support from a host of patrons, including Liverpool and England footballer Steven Gerrard MBE, former England cricketer Freddie Flintoff MBE and James Blunt.
Tickets For Troops patron Sir Ian Botham said: “Let’s get behind our troops, let’s give them some support and let’s show them just how much we appreciate the dangerous job they do for us.”
Members of the Armed Forces are encouraged to go online and register at www.ticketsfortroops.org.uk to take advantage of the fantastic tickets available for our Armed Forces.