Long Mynd Adventure Camp – The Roger Jones Way

Deputy Lieutenant Vern Stokes accompanied by his partner Sue Amer, attended the opening of the Roger Jones Way at the Long Mynd Adventure Camp on Friday 09 Aug 2024.

The Long Mynd Adventure Camp is a registered charity delivering residential outdoor opportunities (accommodation, food and transport) for youth organisations supporting children often from underprivileged backgrounds.

Founded in 1958 by a police officer, Bill Williams BEM (deceased). The organisation holds the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The charity is presided over by Mr Peter Jenkins, a board of trustees and friends, they have 12 volunteers with mixed skills capability. The faculties can sleep 30 youths in huts, but has space for many more in tented accommodation.

The naming ceremony was attended by the Chairman Peter Jenkins, 4 trustees, many friends including Mr Kim Marsh (who wrote their recent business plan to secure their future). Jenifer English BEM from Bowbrook House residential home, Shrewsbury the home looked after Roger Jones at the end of his life, (Jennifer and her husband received the BEM in 2022 and were the Shropshire nominees that attended the Coronation). Former police colleague Wynne Evans, and Roger’s next door neighbour for over 40 years Rosie and Dave Morris.

The sign was unveiled by Rosie Morris and the DL. Rosie spoke about Roger’s life and the DL spoke about the Lieutenancy’s role in community, volunteering and supporting young people.

Roger Jones died 24 December 2022. He served in the Coldstream Guards during WWII, he was injured when his tank drove over a mine just 8 days before Victory in Europe. After the War Roger joined the West Mercia Constabulary (then the Shropshire Constabulary) for over 40 years. He was active with Shropshire Freemasons for over 60 years. In his will he left a substantial legacy (undisclosed) to the Long Mynd Adventure Camp because he believed in supporting deprived children. He arranged his legacy in 2013 with clear guidance that it should be used to support, develop and enhance the infrastructure of the adventure camp. As a result, they have spent some of the monies tarmacking the entrance road (The Roger Jones Way) and will spend further monies on replacing the disabled toilet and shower and the boys’ ablutions block.

I have known Roger since my first lunch with the Shropshire veterans of the Coldstream Guards in 1987. Roger and I attended his last Shropshire Branch, Coldstream Guards Association lunch in Oct 2022, he complimented my involvement at The Late Queen’s funeral and asked if I would help arrange his funeral when the time came, he passed away on Christmas Eve and we duly buried him alongside his wife Betty in Bridgnorth cemetery in January 2023.