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David John Russell was born in Leeds in 1952 and attended Leeds Central High School. He joined the Royal Navy in 1970 and commanded three submarines and one surface warship during a career in which he reached the rank of commodore.[citation needed] He was the first Commanding Officer of HMS Vanguard,[1] the United Kingdom's first Trident missile submarine.
Following the attacks on 11 September 2001, he directed the UK submarine response in the campaign against terrorism when UK submarines engaged terrorist targets in Afghanistan with Tomahawk cruise missiles. He also developed the strategic goals and produced operational deployment, corporate recource and output plans for the UK fleet.[citation needed] He led the UK effort to rescue survivors from the sunken Russian submarine Kursk in the Barents Sea in 2001.[2]
Graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies in 1995 and the Joint Service Staff College in 1998, he completed the Financial Seminar for Senior Managers at London Business School in May 2002 and joined the Bedford Charity (Harpur Trust) as Chief Executive in June 2002. In 2004 he gained a first class honours degree in law with the Open University.
He lives in Bedford with the youngest of his three daughters.
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moreBedford Castle Rotary Club put a great deal of effort into raising money for good causes. Over the past few years we have made charitable donations to the following:-
moreKimbolton Country Fayre & Classic Car Show - Rotary Club of Bedford Castle will be supporting this event in 2024
moreThe Rotary Club of Bedford Castle are working together with students and staff from Bedford Academy to raise funds for much needed equipment.
moreThe Rotary Club of Bedford Castle has over many years sponsored many young people to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Courses
moreMembers of the Rotary Club of Bedford Castle volunteers attend the Bedford Food Bank each week to assist in sorting the food donations ready for delivery
moreEvery year the Rotary Club provides opportunities for adults and young people to build confidence and self-esteem by taking part in adventurous outdoor activities at the Calvert Trust's facility in the Lake District
moreBookTastic, Bedford’s Children’s Book Festival, brings the UK’s leading writers and illustrators to Bedford, inspiring children and encouraging them to engage with books and reading in an exciting and accessible way.
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