Heroes still need our help urges Duke

Prince Harry, watched by his brother the Duke of Cambridge, as he waves off a charity cycle ride at Tedworth House, Tidworth, Wiltshire.

Prince William was joined by Prince Harry for a visit to Wiltshire’s Tedworth House, one of the centres set up by the Help for Heroes charity to aid wounded service personnel and veterans.

“When Harry and I, like so many other young men and women, first donned our Help for Heroes wristbands – only six years ago – not even we, as servicemen, could have guessed the scale of the challenges ahead,” William said.

“In 2007 the nation was beginning to wake up to the reality of the debt we owed to its wounded and sick servicemen returning from overseas.

“The British public’s unprecedented response to the likes of Help for Heroes, the Royal British Legion and countless other service charities was a heartfelt response to that sense of debt felt by countless tens of thousands of people, in fact the whole nation, who wanted to show support and gratitude.”

He went on: “This official opening is therefore, I hope, as much of a renewed pledge by all of us to go on supporting those who sacrificed so much as it is a celebration of an amazing achievement.”

Before leaving Tedworth House, William and Harry waved off Staff Sergeant Steve Arnold, Corporal Claire Edwards and Corporal Charlie Lemon as they rode away on hand bikes to launch the 2013 Hero Ride.

It will see cyclists from all corners of the country ride into London on June 2 to raise funds for Help for Heroes’ work.

The other recovery centres given the royal seal of approval are at Catterick, Colchester  in Essex and Plymouth in  Devon.

Help for Heroes chief executive Bryn Parry said William and Harry’s backing had been key to the success of the charity, adding: “For that we heartily thank them.”