HM Paymaster General visits Royal Hospital
20th December 2019
Today we welcomed HM Paymaster General, Oliver Dowden CBE, to the Royal Hospital to meet the Chelsea Pensioners in his role as an Ex-officio Commissioner.
Mr Dowden took time to meet with Governor of the Royal Hospital, Sir Adrian Bradshaw KCB OBE DL, and CEO Gary Lashko, before touring the historic site.
Sir Adrian explained the significance of the visit:
I was delighted to see HM Paymaster General, Oliver Dowden, here at the Royal Hospital today, the most obvious outward manifestation of the Government and the Army’s commitment to its Veterans.
As the head of the newly formed Office for Veterans’ Affairs, he showed a strong commitment to looking after those who served our Nation and we very much look forward to working with him in the future, as we look after our magnificent Chelsea Pensioners and as we address the challenges of outreach to the wider Veteran community.
Towards the end of the visit Mr Dowden also met with the Chelsea Pensioners, stopping to talk with them and wish them a Merry Christmas. Chelsea Pensioner Brian Connor said of the visit:
I very much enjoyed meeting the Minister. He was approachable and really listened to everything that we had to say. It was a real privilege talking with him.
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