An Army rugby team based in Germany arrived in Wootton Bassett on Saturday to play a charity game in aid of the Gazette’s Help For Heroes appeal.

Bielefeld Barbarians, of Catterick Barracks in Bielefeld, Germany, beat a Wootton Bassett team 19-66.

The visiting team has raised £1,040 for Help For Heroes, while Wootton Bassett Rugby Club has raised £5,000 over the last few months, through events such as a rugby 7s tournament and an auction of rugby memorabilia.

This money will go to the Gazette’s appeal to help build a rehabilitation centre at Tidworth.

Roger Harries, secretary of Wootton Bassett Rugby Club, said: “As we are at the end of the rugby season, a lot of people are away on holiday, but our captain Dave Floyd got his phone out and he was inundated with replies from people who wanted to play.

“It is great to do an event like this for Help for Heroes.A very good time was had by all.”

Mary Zelley was watching her son Gary play tighthead prop for Wootton Bassett.

She said: “Everyone is down here watching for a great cause. Something like this is always good as it gets the community involved.”

On June 19, cyclists from across the country will descend on the rugby club in Wootton Bassett at the end of a ride organised by the rugby charity Wooden Spoon for Help for Heroes.

The ride will be starting from premiership rugby grounds such as The Rec in Bath and Kingsholm in Gloucester.

* Husband and wife Carol and Rik Noakes are to jump from 10,000 feet in a sky-dive to back our appeal.

Mr and Mrs Noakes, of Stonelea Close, Chippenham, are nervously awaiting their challenge which is to take place on July 3 at an airfield near Swindon.

Mr Noakes, 43, works as an LGV driver for Wincanton and Mrs Noakes, 44, works at Gooseberry Bush Nursery at the Azimghur Barracks in Colerne and is also a student studying early childhood development at Bath University.

She is taking on Help for Heroes because the nursery is based at the barracks.

She said: “I have never done anything like this before so I decided to take up the challenge. The staff at the nursery all think I am mad and they just can’t believe we are doing it.

“Rik’s never done it before either but he’s more adventurous about it and I know it’s something he’s always wanted to do. I am probably more nervous about the whole thing.”

Other staff members had planned to join the couple but nerves have got the better of them, and now the duo will go it alone. They will each be jumping with an instructor.

Mrs Noakes added: “I am going to be really nervous but, because we are the only ones doing it now, we don’t have the chance to back out.”

* The usual school timetable at St John’s in Marlborough was abandoned on Friday as students took part in an afternoon of fundraising in aid of Help for Heroes.

Students were allowed to wear whatever they liked in return for a £1 donation.

As well as the non-uniform day staff and students from Red College, one of four houses in the school, spent several weeks planning activities and games and baking cakes to raise money for the charity which was selected by the students themselves.

The school’s main foyer was packed with stalls, and sporting challenges took place in the sports hall and on the playing fields, resulting in total of £1,630 being raised for the Wiltshire based charity that aids service men and women.

Representatives from Army recruitment were on hand to talk to students.