Former Royal Marine hosting big band Christmas concert in Hampshire for military charity

This is Steve’s second fundraising concert to raise money for his place in the 2025 London Marathon, which he is running for SSAFA. Along with Steve and the rest of the Maury Deans band, there are two active serving Royal Marines slated to sing on the evening.

The concert will be a mixture of Christmas tunes and traditional big band songs, including paying homage to greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. There will also be a raffle on the night, with vouchers and prizes from local businesses up for grabs!

Steve served for over 26 years in the Royal Marines Band Service as a drummer and percussionist. His time in the service took him all around the world and he performed at high-profile events like the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the premiere of the movie Skyfall, and the opening ceremony of the 2015 Rugby World Cup at Twickenham.

Steve’s favourite memory from his time in the Royal Marines was performing at Royal Albert Hall every year, getting to perform on the same stage as some of the most iconic artists in the world – “It hit me just how lucky I am to have experiences like this. It really got the hair standing on the back of my neck.”

Upon leaving the service in 2022 Steve struggled with the transition from life as a soldier to life as a civilian. He knew SSAFA from his time performing in the Royal Marines, and when he needed SSAFA, they were there: “The network and connection of veterans that SSAFA has is remarkable. It doesn’t matter what service you were in – if you or a family member are actively serving or a veteran, you can be helped by SSAFA. You never have to battle alone.”

Tickets for the event are £10. If you are interested in attending, please email [email protected] where you can get eTickets sent to you, or alternatively, reserve your tickets and pay with cash upon arrival.

For more information about SSAFA please visit www.ssafa.org.uk.