Politics Home Article | Veterans Aid welcomes new trustees

Veterans Aid is pleased to announce the appointment of two new trustees.

Major (Retd.) Rupert Gibb and Wing Commander (Retd.) Alex South have accepted invitations to join the charity’s Board.

Both are career officers who have exercised their transferable skills to excellent  effect and demonstrated a commitment to the wellbeing of veterans in civilian life.  

CEO Professor Hugh Milroy said, “I’m delighted to welcome  Rupert and Alex to the VA family; as veterans, and as individuals who have distinguished themselves both in their military and post-service careers, they will bring much valued knowledge and experience to the Board.”

Rupert Gibb, who was commissioned in 1987, served in The  Devonshire & Dorset Regiment for 15 years.  His posts include Aide-de-Camp, General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland,  Adjutant, 1st Battalion The Devonshire & Dorset Regiment, and Major/Company Commander, The Devonshire & Dorset Regiment. He is Parachute/P-Company trained,  was  selected for  Staff College  in 1999 and undertook memorable  operational tours of Northern Ireland and Bosnia.

Describing the ‘military family’  as “something that’s in my DNA” Rupert’ says, “It continues to shape my career and the successes I have enjoyed.  Veterans risked their lives and gave years of service to protect the freedoms and safety we continue to enjoy. For me a quote on the VA website encapsulates why I wanted to be involved with the charity:  ‘Veterans Aid is unique – not just because of what it does, but because it does it immediately’.  It puts its money where its mouth is. In a crowded landscape of veterans’ charities, VA is the clear, unwavering voice that rises above the noise – the true A&E of the sector!”

Alex South served in the Royal Air Force for 24 years – a career that took him all over the UK and overseas. His  highlights include  being Station Adjutant at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Secretarial Instructor at RAF Halton, and Chief of Staff in RAF Manning at High Wycombe. He went on to  Advanced Staff Course 14 at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, as a Wing Commander, in 2010. 

“I  was fortunate to command Support Wing at RAF Valley from 2011 to 2013, serve as SO1 J1 (the HR Director) in Afghanistan in 2014 and finally to work as part of the RAF Pay team in the Ministry of Defence until I retired in 2015.”

After leaving the RAF  Alex held appointments in Big 4 consulting, at American Express delivering UK market Customer Service and a global coaching programme in Brighton, Delhi and Manila.  He returned to work for Southeastern Trains as Head of HR Services. 

“I have spent the last few years of my career trying to help veterans in work, by establishing Veterans Networks at American Express and at Southeastern, getting both to commit to the Armed Forces Covenant, designing programmes to incentivise joining and to obtaining Silver accreditation for them.  However, this only helps those who are either in work or who are able to work.  The work of Veterans Aid is vital in ensuring that there is an ‘A&E’ service for the most vulnerable veterans and it has unparalleled track record of success in getting them back on their feet. I was therefore delighted to have been invited to join as  a trustee at this critical time. “