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In just three and a half years, Bryn and Emma Parry have been the driving force behind the charity achieving an amazing fundraising total of £100 million – inspiring the public to get fully behind the fundraising effort. The money is already making a difference, building specialist recovery centres to provide support for injured service personnel. Former soldier Bryn and his wife Emma were appointed OBEs this year for voluntary service to the armed forces. IoIC recognises the Parrys for their achievements as well as their focus, clear articulation of their vision and their practical delivery. The Parrys set up the charity in 2007, inspired by a visit to see wounded military patients at Birmingham’s Selly Oak Hospital. They originally planned a bike ride to raise £10,000, but, following a suggestion by General Sir Richard Dannatt, they revised this modest target upward to £ 8 million with the intention of building a new rehabilitation complex at Headley Court in Surrey. As effective leaders, they engaged and motivated, encouraging 300 people from all walks of life to join them on a 350-mile sponsored cycle ride through France in May 2oo8, raising £1.4 million. Help for Heroes had achieved its goal of £ 8 million within just eight months, and the money continued to pour in. The couple also had the business acumen to make the charity work. Bryn had left the army to become a cartoonist in 1985 and they ran an illustrations company for 23 years. IoIC chief executive Steve Doswell says: “Bryn and Emma understood the audience and importantly that the time was ripe for a charity that would tap into humanitarian desire to do something practical as well as the public sympathy for British troops badly wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Bryn and Emma will receive their award at a prestigious industry dinner on 17 November at the London Landmark Hotel. This award presentation for inspirational communication will be the culmination of an evening focusing on the IoIC’s ICon awards, which recognise the best of the best in internal communication. Other awards to be announced will range from best in-house team, rising star, and best line manager to best editor, best writer, best designer and internal communicator of the year. If you are interested in booking a place or a table, contact brenda@ioic.org.uk Further information about the ICon awards event is available at www.ioic.org.uk/content/events/icon-awards |
The founders of Help for Heroes are to be the recipients of the IoIC Communicator of the Year Award 2011. 
