A former Ganges boy has been appointed Suffolk's new Armed Forces Commissioner.

Lee Holloway, who started his service career at Shotley when he joined the Royal Navy, has taken over his new post from Colonel (Retired) John Ogden.

The role of Armed Forces Commissioner is to provide a politically independent volunteer who chairs the Suffolk Armed Forces Covenant Board and champions the Armed Forces Covenant.

After going on from Ganges to getting a commission, Mr Holloway served 10 years as a Royal Navy officer. For the last nine years he has been Chief Executive Officer of the Officers' Association, a charity that supports the transition, employment, and welfare of Officers from across the three armed services.

He said: "Whilst I've been working in the service charities sector with a UK-wide remit, this role will provide an opportunity to learn more about challenges and needs of the armed forces community in Suffolk."

Mr Holloway, joined HMS Ganges in 1973 as a junior seaman and after seeing active service in Egypt, Northern Ireland, the Gulf, and the Falklands conflict in HMS Broadsword, he was commissioned in 1986 and rose to become a Lieutenant Commander in 1991.

He ended his RN career after a stint as Staff Operations Officer to the Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland in Faslane.

His predecessor in this new role Mr Ogden, took over as Suffolk's second Armed Forces Commissioner in March 2018, six months after leaving the army and settling in the county. The role is typically a three-year appointment, however due to Covid, he agreed to extend for an additional year.

"The role was an opportunity to give back to the armed forces community after my 34-year career in the British Army," said Mr Ogden. "Whilst I've engaged military units, service charities and learnt more about statutory sector services, the role has enabled me to learn about Suffolk as a county, especially the business sector."

Councillor Mick Fraser, Suffolk County Council's Armed Forces Champion said, "The Armed Forces Commissioner is a volunteer role for the county of Suffolk, and we must really thank John for his time and leadership on the covenant in Suffolk.

"Lee has a very strong understanding of the military charities sector; this appointment is really good news for Suffolk's armed forces community."

The Suffolk Armed Forces Community Covenant was established in October 2012. This agreement is a voluntary pledge of mutual support between a civilian community and its local armed forces community.

The UK Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.

The two principles are:

• that members of the armed forces community should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services; and

• that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most such as the injured or the bereaved

For more information of the Suffolk Armed Forces Community Covenant visit the weblink: www.suffolkmilitarycovenant.org. uk