Help for Heroes (H4H) was founded by Bryn and Emma Parry after a profoundly moving visit to Selly Oak Hospital in the summer of 2007. Bryn and Emma met some extraordinarily brave young people who had been badly wounded and they just wanted to do something to help.
The original idea was to go on a bike ride from Caen to Cannes and raise £10,000, but following a suggestion from General Sir Richard Dannatt, the idea grew and Emma and Bryn took on the challenge to raise £8million to build a new Rehabilitation Complex at Headley Court.
The 'Big Battlefield Bike Ride' happened in May 2008. Emma and Bryn rode 350 miles through France alongside 300 cyclists from all walks of life including Generals and Corporals, housewives, businessmen, even a Page 3 girl, to raise a staggering £1.4m, Within eight months, H4H had achieved its initial aim - raising £8 million - but the money kept pouring in. Help for Heroes had touched a nerve with the British public and fast become a national phenomenon.
Bryn served for ten years in the Royal Green Jackets, now The Rifles, before leaving the Army in 1985 to become a cartoonist. He ran a successful cartoon business - Bryn Parry Studios - for 23 years with Emma, producing a wide range of popular stationery and gift products as well as publishing nine books. Bryn drew the 
designs while Emma ran the marketing of the designs onto best selling products which were sold world wide.
In 2009, realising that it is not possible to run both the charity and the business, Bryn and Emma sold Bryn Parry Studios Ltd to concentrate full time on Help For Heroes. Bryn Parry Studios, now under new ownership, continues to flourish and Bryn is still involved as a consultant. He also illustrates for The Shooting Gazette as his weekend work.
Bryn and Emma come both come from military families and understand only too well the sacrifices made by the members of our Armed Forces and their families. Bryn's family have have been Servicemen for generations and Emma is the daughter, wife and now mother of a serving soldier. Their son, Tom, is an Officer with 2 Rifles and in the summer of 2009 served on a tour in Helmand, Afghanistan where many of his colleagues were killed or wounded. They also have two daughters, Sophie and Louisa, and all three children 'do their bit' when they can. The girls joined the first Big Battlefield Bike Ride and have been involved in the Colossal Cake Sales. The whole family climbed Kilimanjaro in 2009, shortly after Tom's return from Afghanistan.
Bryn and Emma Parry's OBEs
Bryn and Emma went to Buckingham Palace on Thursday 25th November to collect their very prestigious OBE awards from The Princess Royal. They were awarded OBEs in The Queen's Birthday Honours List for the support that Help for Heroes (H4H) provides to the Armed Forces.
Bryn says "We felt very awkward being personally honoured when so many people have done so many extraordinary things to support 'our blokes'. Additionally, we are very aware that our contribution is nothing when put against that of the men and women of our Armed Forces. However, we have decided to accept the awards on behalf of H4H and do so as representatives of all those who have contributed to this wonderful wave of support."
"Please remember that H4H is nothing without you all. We really are one very big team of people joined together to do something rather wonderful. We need to keep going, with no compromises, to deliver the very best support to the 'blokes' and, with your continued support, that is exactly what we intend to do!"
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