Simon Weston
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Simon Weston OBE (born August 8, 1961) is a former British Army soldier who became well known throughout the United Kingdom after suffering severe burn injuries during the Falklands War.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Weston was born in Nelson, Wales. He joined the Welsh Guards in 1978 at the age of 16, serving in both Northern Ireland and Kenya.[1] In 1982, he was with other members of his regiment on the ship, the RFA Sir Galahad, just off the Falkland Islands, when it was set on fire by enemy bombs. Weston survived with 49% burns, following which his face was barely recognisable. 22 out of his platoon of 30 men were killed, and Weston endured years of reconstructive surgery and is now patron of a number of charities that support people living with disfigurements,[2][3] as well as the lead ambassador for The Healing Foundation.[4]
Weston has also set up a national youth charity Weston Spirit, which he set up in 1988 shortly after moving to Liverpool; very recently though, the charity suffered from financial difficulties, through Simon's own ignorances, and had to be shut down. This work gained him the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1992.[5] After recovering from his initial injuries, Weston became a well-known personality on radio and television, especially within Wales, and used to present his own radio show on BBC Radio Wales.
In 2003, Weston announced that he had been in talks over plans to make a film about his life. [1]
In 2004, Weston became one of the top 100 Welsh heroes.[6] In 2006 Weston, along with dual code (Rugby League and Rugby Union) international David Watkins, were installed as patrons of the Welsh Rugby League, in a ceremony held in the Welsh Assembly. Also by 2006, Weston had been the subject of 6 BBC documentaries.[7] On 12 March 2007 he appeared on ITV News, giving his opinion on the care of British soldiers in hospital.
On 14 June 2007 he appeared on various UK television stations recalling his experience of the Falklands War, this date being the 25th Anniversary of the war ending. He is married to Lucy, who also works for the charity. The couple have three children: James, Stuart and Caitlin.
On 4 March 2008, he appeared alongside Tory leader David Cameron as he announced the formation of a commission to investigate ways to help restore the military covenant, which the Tory leader called 'well and truly broken' [2]. Weston will take a non-partisan, advisory role to the Commission (headed by Frederick Forsyth), with his work taking a particular focus to the treatment of veterans and the compensation paid out to injured service personnel.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Weston Spirit Simon Weston
- ^ The Face Trust
- ^ Changing Faces
- ^ The Healing Foundation Ambassador's list
- ^ Weston Spirit Simon Weston
- ^ Weston Spirit Simon Weston
- ^ Weston Spirit Simon Weston
