British Military Fitness (BMF) Instructor Jeremy (Jel) Bearder served with the Royal Regiment of Artillery from 1986-1991 in the 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, serving in the UK, Germany, Cyprus and Canada during his military career. Not long after leaving he sought help from the Royal British Legion. Here we hear how they helped him.
"I have always loved sport and represented my regiment at football, rugby, tennis, cricket, athletics (junior army discuss champion 1990) and competed at swimming (butterfly) within the unit. When I left after getting married I missed the comradeship of my fellow soldiers. The military becomes your family.
In 2008 I entered a new stage in my life as my relationship broke down and I left the family home of my two sons. I became quite low and needed to find a decent form of employment. I’d always thought about being a PE teacher but didn’t really like the idea of going into long term education. Then a friend of mine suggested BMF! What’s BMF? BRITISH MILITARY FITNESS!
Excited was an understatement.
I looked up the company online and then contacted them with the thought of becoming an instructor. I was bobbing about doing casual labour for old friends, without really having a direction. I spoke with a South African guy by the name of Simon Richman who was the Regional Manager for London at the time. He was very helpful and put me in touch with the training wing which was based in Cardiff at the time. I had mentioned that I wasn’t working regularly at the time and that I couldn’t afford the payment for the NVQ level 1 course.
Then, by chance, I was walking by the Royal British Legion in Enfield where I am from. I popped in as I used to play football for their team when I was serving in the army. I met the Chairman Derek Caton, who I already knew and asked him if there was anyway that I could get help from the legion. He said he knew just the man to speak with and passed me on to a gentleman named Burt.
Burt represented “Civvy Street” the charity which helps former service personnel with getting employment or just finding their feet after service. He got me to fill out some paperwork and then said that they would be in touch soon. Within a couple of weeks, they confirmed that they would cover any costs with regards to the course and also covered my second qualification as level 2 fitness instructor.
I went on the course in Cardiff in April 2008 and passed. Within 2 weeks I went to Hyde Park and introduced myself to an instructor taking a session and he let me shadow his class. The following weekend I then spoke to the regional manager and he told me to go along to Hampstead Heath and shadow there. The guy I shadowed was confident in my ability from what he saw during the the class and from there we then went to Finsbury Park and I was able to take my first session and the feedback was fantastic.
I ‘felt alive outside’ after what had been a pretty rough time for me, I was starting to get my life back into some kind of reality and this was thanks to The Royal British Legion.
I have now been working for British Military Fitness for over seven years and am the Park Manager at 4 different venues. Finsbury Park, Admirals Park, Alexandra Palace and Shoreditch Park. Between theses venues I have just over 400 members and they keep coming back week after week.
I have also been one of the instructors on three “Sunfit” fitness breaks in the Canary Islands, represented the company on two BMF skiing holidays in Austria.
I have taken warm up routines at several large events including the Royal British Legion Major Series three times, the ‘Spartan Race’, ‘Pretty Muddy’ and the ‘Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon’ where there were over 12,000 participants. I have also represented BMF at 3 ‘Fitness Fiesta’ weekends.
All in all, I can’t thank the Royal British Legion enough for the assistance in providing me with a new career and life which has given me a new direction and purpose. I will be forever grateful and am happy to help with fundraising wherever possible.