Patron's reception in Washington

4th May 2011

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Just days after the pomp and glamour of the Royal Wedding, Prince Charles spent his first day back at work in Washington DC with The British Forces Foundation. The Charity’s Patron was at a reception for The BFF and United Service Organisations (USO) at the British Embassy last night where he met with soldiers who had been injured while in action and paid tribute to them. The BFF and USO are proud to share a mission dedicated to lifting the morale of troops and military families worldwide. Already delivering entertainment experiences to allied forces, both organisations look forward to building a partnership dedicated to improving the quality of life of British and American troops and military families. “One does not need to emphasise to you the magnificence of our Nations’ Armed Forces,” said His Royal Highness. “They are ‘splendid indeed’. “Their welfare is of paramount importance and the responsibility of maintaining their morale, looking after them, honouring them and considering their families is a great one. “In their own ways the two Charities represented here today, The BFF and USO do a terrific job.  I am therefore delighted that this Reception marks the beginning of a relationship that has the potential to deliver real benefit, over many years, to the men and women of our Armed Forces.” The reception at the Ambassador’s Residence was a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of the two charities’ morale-building programmes and encourage ongoing engagement in support of the entire military community. The BFF is essentially the British equivalent of the entertainment arm of the USO; it focuses mostly on the morale of those deployed rather than the injured, although it does conduct some homeland and hospital projects as well as other award winning projects. Renowned for being lateral and contemporary in its approach whilst being very quick to react to the needs of our servicemen and women, The BFF’s greatest triumph remains being the organisation that effectively articulated the public could support the troops without feeling they were supporting any particular Operation or War. “The alliance cemented by His Royal Highness at the Reception on 3^rd May between BFF and USO was be truly significant not just for our men and women in the Armed Forces but for how charities do business in general and also by affirming that we fight campaigns as an Alliance,” said BFF Director Mark Cann. “We are committed to sharing resources and best practices to create a meaningful partnership between our two nations that improves the lives of troops who protect our freedoms.” A spokesman for the Prince of Wales said the three-day trip had three main themes - education, environmental sustainability and co-operation between UK and U.S. forces. The British Forces Foundation  is supported by American Fund for Charities, a US 501(c)(3) non-profit organization EIN 52-2109597. Donations to the American Fund for Charities from US taxpayers are tax deductible to the extent allowed by US law. The British Forces Foundation has been reviewed by the American Fund for Charities and the board of the American Fund has determined that The British Forces Foundation is a suitable organization to receive grants from a US public charity. So if you are a US taxpayer and want to support The British Forces Foundation, please print the Donation Form that can be found by clicking here and send it with your check or credit card details to American Fund for Charities, 1000 N. West St. Suite 1200, Wilmington, DE 19801. USA You will be issued with the receipt you require for income tax purposes. Click here to make an online credit card donation via the American Fund for Charities website View the gallery