John White, the Managing director of JWPM is a Royal Engineers and Intelligence Corps veteran who served for 12 years. 

He met with Outreach Scotland in May 2021 and, after being told about the services Blesma offers its Members,
agreed to commit more than £10,000 to support specialised activities in 2021, including sponsoring a corporate box at Murrayfield Stadium for a rugby match and funding the Christmas lunches.

A further commitment to support activities in 2022 was also given, and details of these activities will be released soon.

Emma Gration, Outreach Officer for Scotland, arranged for Members to attend the rugby match against Japan in November and a ballot was held to choose the 12 lucky Members who would get a ticket.

“I just want to say a big thank you to Emma and Blesma, and John from JWPM,” said Andy McQueen after the event. “This was a spectacular event and I feel very lucky to have had my name drawn from the hat to attend. I only recently joined Blesma as a Member and this corporate day at the Scotland vs Japan rugby was one of my
top life events to date. Thanks to all the Members who attended the day – it was good to reminisce about Forces life, tours, and some of the things we got up to.”

Over the course of the match Members were provided with welcome drinks, brunch, lunch and a post-match dinner, and were visited by well-known past rugby stars.

“Thanks to Blesma, I was able to watch my first live rugby game, which was brilliant,” said Ann Brown. “The hospitality was great, as was meeting Blesma Members who I had never met before. All in all, a superb day!”

After some introductions the banter flowed, and Members enjoyed socialising with John and each other. The match was made even better as Scotland played well and won the game. Huge thanks must go to JWPM for sponsoring, as this event could not have been held without their support.

“Thanks again for a great day, I really enjoyed it and thanks again to John, what a great guy,” said Geoff Norris.

“The day has inspired me to get out and try a few more of the activities that Blesma organises – these events lift the spirits and give you a boost."