The long-standing Honorary Secretary of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, Group Captain Patrick Tootal OBE, has announced that he is standing down from the position he has held for more than 25 years.
But while seeking to hand over the secretarial reins he was given in September 1998, Patrick has confirmed that he has no plans to end his involvement with the Trust he has supported so loyally for so long.
“I shall be continuing in my role of Trustee,” he explained. “The thinking is that giving up my secretarial duties will enable me to concentrate more fully on my role as the Trustee responsible for events and for our annual Memorial Day.
“It will also enable me to continue in the vital role of Secretary of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association, working with the families of the Few to ensure that the bravery and sacrifice of their loved ones will be recognised in perpetuity.”
The secretary of the Trust is not automatically a Trustee but is an unpaid post that exists to support the Trustees in the day-to-day work of running the organisation and the Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne.
Patrick recalled: “I was appointed a Trustee by Geoffrey Page, former member of the Few and inspiration behind the National Memorial to the Few. He then added: ‘We want you to be Hon Secretary, and there is no pay!’”
The secretary’s role includes areas such as preparing agendas and taking minutes of meetings, banking, servicing the Trust’s finance and general purposes committee, chairing its marketing and fundraising committee, briefing Trust officers, writing reports, answering correspondence and enquiries and assisting with volunteer, personnel and policy issues.
Patrick explained: “I am looking to stand down from the role of Hon Secretary at the end of 2025, which will give my successor the opportunity to shadow me for a year before taking over from the start of 2026.
“But while I am looking to relinquish some of the workload I have had for more than 25 years, I am certainly not stepping down as a Trustee and I look forward to continuing to work alongside an amazing group of people who are dedicated to “Remembering the Few”.
It’s incredible to see someone dedicate so much of their life to preserving such an important legacy. Patrick Tootal’s work with the Trust and the Fighter Association has been vital in ensuring the bravery of the Few is never forgotten. Geometry Dash Lite features simple one-touch controls, making it easy to play but challenging to master.
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