NEWS

TICKETS FOR TROOPS CELEBRATES 100,000th MEMBER (1)

TICKETS FOR TROOPS today celebrates the milestone of registering its 100,000th member of the Armed Forces. This remarkable achievement has taken less than two years and shows that the charity has really captured the heart of the nation.

To celebrate the landmark troops have kindly been given a box for the 4th Day England v India at the Kia Oval in London on Sunday. They will do a lap of honour during the afternoon tea break. This is the fourth day of a thrilling series with England aiming for a white-wash and cementing their newly attained position as the Number 1 team in the world.

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. It just goes to show the level of appreciation amongst the public of the work 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 2 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.

Patron Christina Schmid, who lost her husband Olaf Schmid to an IED in Afghanistan, 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 over 270,000 tickets to troops who have registered on the website - www.ticketsfortroops.org.uk

This initiative has attracted maximum support from a host of Patrons, including Steven Gerrard MBE, 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 lets show them just how much we appreciate the dangerous job they do for us."