Simon Weston OBE

About

Simon is a Welsh veteran of the British Army who became well known throughout the United Kingdom for his recovery and charity work after suffering severe burn injuries during the Falklands War.

He joined the Welsh Guards in 1978 at the age of 16 at the insistence of his mother, after he “got into bother”. He served in Berlin, Northern Ireland and Kenya before being deployed to the Falkland Islands.

In 1982 Simon Weston was aboard HMS Sir Galahad with his regiment of Welsh Guards when it was bombed by Argentinian planes. The horrific burns he suffered required a series of operations that continue to this day. Despite his injuries and the physical and mental suffering, Simon’s life is an example of great personal triumph and courage.

After the Falklands campaign Simon co-founded The Weston Spirit, dedicated to helping young people play an active role in their own communities. Until it ceased in 2008, he spent much of his time fundraising – enabling the charity to set up regional projects in Liverpool, Cardiff and Newcastle.

Weston’s courage and charity work have been recognised and honoured a number of times. In 1992 he was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. In 2002 he was awarded the Freedom of the City of Liverpool. In 2004, he was named one of the top 100 Welsh heroes. In 2005 he was made an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University.

Weston became a well-known personality on radio and television, especially within Wales. He has been the subject of a number of BBC documentaries and presented his own radio show “Face for the Radio” on BBC Radio Wales. He has been a commentator numerous times on television news programmes and documentaries.

The success of his two books, Walking Tall and Going Back, further demonstrates the public’s genuine and enduring respect for a true role model.

Simon’s presentations both humble and inspire conference audiences. He shows the power of a positive mental attitude when you experience a change of circumstances: accept the position in which you find yourself, turn adversity into opportunity and remain focused on the goal.