Charity's support for Principal Clerk's injured son inspires bike riders

                                                                                                                                       August 22 2013

Friends of the injured son of the Principal Clerk of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland are taking part in a 250-mile bike ride to raise funds for the soldiers' veterans charity which has helped support him.

John James Chalmers ('JJ'), then aged 23, was serving in  Helmand, Afghanistan as a marine reservist with 42 commando in May 2011 when he was seriously injured by an IED (Improved Explosive Device) which claimed the lives of two of his colleagues.

News of his son's brush with death reached the Principal Clerk, the Rev John Chalmers, minutes after the closing service of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2011. JJ suffered severe injuries to his arms, face and legs and underwent treatment at Selly Oak Military Hospital in Birmingham. He has lost his fingers, undergone facial reconstruction and had surgery on his left eye and both legs.

Mr Chalmers, estimates that JJ - a design and technology teacher in Edinburgh before he joined the Marines - has already spent nearly 90 hours in the operating theatre. JJ still faces further surgery to regain mobility in his right arm

The Principal Clerk shared the journey of recovery and support with Life and Work readers in a personal reflection in November 2011.

JJ's experience and support from the veterans' charity, Help for Heroes, has inspired family friends Lesley Hunter, Averil and Bill McKinley and Roslyn and William Bryant to sign up for the Auld Alliance cycle, which starts on Monday. The 250-mile, four day bike ride, from Edinburgh to Paris, supports a number of charities, including Help for Heroes. The charity has helped and supported JJ and other soldiers in rehabillitation centres, such as Tedworth House, where they can rebuild their lives physically and emotionally.

Mr Chalmers said: "Help for Heroes has achieved a fantastic amount of good work and has helped JJ enormously.

"JJ has even become an ambassador for this charity and helps other soldiers in a similar position to his."

To sponsor the cyclists and help raise funds for wounded veterans, sponsor them here

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