A mechanical engineering lecturer at Coleg Sir Gâr has recently returned from London where he was nominated along with his wife, to attend the King’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.
Rob Rees and his wife Michele, were nominated for their services to veterans with Michele being general manager of Links mental health in Llanelli and Rob as a former Royal Air Force mechanical engineering technician.
Guests are nominated by charities and organisations with royal links, and are invited as a thank you for their public service.
Serving 12 years in the RAF, Rob spent much of his life stationed at various UK military bases which included a five-month detachment in the Falkland Islands.
In 1997, Rob left the military and gained a position as a design engineer at Kerton Plastics in Swansea and following some years in the mechanical engineering industry, he gained a teaching position at Coleg Sir Gâr in 2001.
However, Rob retained his service connections and through a colleague of Michele, he was approached by the local Welsh Guards Association to help out at a veterans event.
“The bond with like-minded armed forces veterans was instant,” said Rob, who was persuaded to join the branch and has been treasurer of the association for the past five years, volunteering his time at meetings, events and parades.
The Welsh Guards Association raises money for charity, maintains war graves and provides a military presence at veteran funeral and events.
Working with his wife Michele, who supports the local veteran community through her working role, the couple regularly attend NAAFI breakfast clubs and have helped set up a very popular annual veteran Christmas lunch organised by Links.
Robert Rees, mechanical engineering lecturer at Coleg Sir Gâr said:
“Someone from the local veteran community nominated my wife and I for consideration to be invited to a Kings Garden party at Buckingham Palace and to this day, we have no idea who nominated us but we feel so humbled that someone has thought of us.
“It was an absolute honour to attend the event, we had a wonderful time, we saw a few key members of the royal family and it is something that we are so proud of and will never forget.
“I would also like to thank the college for granting me time off to attend the event.
“I still really enjoy the banter between the veteran community; the army, navy and air force are always pulling each other’s legs but the camaraderie is tremendous.
“It really is rewarding to be able to get so many local veterans together and offer help to those who have fallen on hard times.”
