About
KPVCVBG

The Keith Payne VC Veterans Benefit Group (KPVCVBG) was established in 2018 to honour the work of Keith Payne VC AM, a former Australian soldier, Victoria Cross recipient, and renowned advocate for veterans’ rights and welfare.

 

Our mission is to continue Keith’s extraordinary legacy by maintaining and improving support services for Australia’s veterans and their families. We encourage all servicemen and women to reach out to our group for any veteran-related matters or to simply be involved in any of our programs or events.

Veteran engagement

We host a range of programs and events for veterans within the Shoalhaven region, many of which are especially for those experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or anxiety. Our aim is to help these veterans form meaningful social connections and as a result, improve their overall health and wellbeing.

While designed for veterans, our programs and events are also open to the public. This is to help ensure the contributions of our servicemen and women are understood, acknowledged, and valued by the broader community.

View our programs and events

Strategic advocacy

We regularly meet with the Minister for Veterans Affairs to raise concerns and propose strategies to improve the support available to our veterans and their families. 

 

Behind the scenes

KPVCVBG is made up of a dedicated team of approximately 25 volunteers, many of whom are also veterans. A registered charity, we rely on corporate sponsorships, private donations, and government grants to develop and implement our activities.

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Fred

Fred Campbell, OAM

Chairman, Keith Payne Veterans’ Group

Fred Campbell OAM JP joined the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 1982 as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, retiring in 2017, after close to 36 years’ Service. He served at HMAS Albatross, Nowra on 723 and 816 Squadrons working on UH-IB Iroquois, 206B1 Kiowa, AS350B Squirrel and S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopters. He additionally served on HMA Ships Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney, Darwin, Melbourne, Stuart and Parramatta. His theatres of operations include: Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan and Solomon Islands. Fred attained the rank of Warrant Officer and was awarded the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to RAN in the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Prior to and after retirement Fred has been involved with many Veteran Charities and groups with his long-time and great mate Rick Meehan OAM JP, including the very coveted Digger Day Charity, founded by Rick. Rick Meehan OAM JP approached Fred to join him as one of the founding members of the Keith Payne VC Veterans Group, with the request and full blessing of Keith Payne VC AM. The friendship Rick and Fred have for each other and for Keith Payne VC AM, along with their passion for wider Veteran community is steadfast and remains a strong driver in all their great work.

Rick

Rick Meehan, OAM

Secretary, Keith Payne Veterans’ Group

Rick Meehan OAM JP joined the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 1979 as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, retiring in 2009 after 30 years’ service. Throughout his career he was mostly based at HMAS Albatross serving mainly on HS817 Squadron maintaining Sea King Helicopters. During his career Rick served on numerous warships, Aircraft Carrier HMAS Melbourne, Destroyer Tender HMAS Stalwart and Amphibious ships HMAS Tobruk and HMAS Kanimbla. Rick attained the rank of Chief Petty Officer and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to RAN in the Australia Days Honours List in 1999.   

Upon retirement Rick founded a veteran’s charity event called Digger Day.  Keith Payne VC AM has been a family friend for over 15 years and was invited to the inaugural event, attending every event since. Now Digger Day has become an international event with a living Victoria Cross recipient from every Commonwealth country attending. With Digger Days success and Keith Payne VC AM not getting any younger, Keith approached Rick and asked would he consider starting up a new registered charity under his name with the main aim to carry on his legacy. Hence the Keith Payne VC Veterans Benefit Group was founded.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Keith Payne VC Veterans Benefit Group is to support Veterans in leading healthy and rewarding lifestyles through advocacy, mateship and recognition of the service and sacrifice of current and former Defence members.

Objectives

In order to meet its Mission Statement, the KPVCVBG (the Group) will strive to fulfil the following Objectives:

  1. Conduct the Group for the ongoing benefit and welfare of Veterans, their families and dependants.
  2. Maintain and uphold the good name and values of respect, honour, dignity and integrity of Keith Payne VC AM, and future Patrons, both now and for future generations.
  3. Maintain and promote public awareness of the role played and services provided by the Group.
  4. Provide social connection for Veterans to support mental health and address PTSD and other service-related mental illness such as anxiety and depression.
  5. Create, promote and cherish a bond of comradeship between ex-Service and civilian members and foster Group esprit-de-corps.
  6. Provide advocacy, information and guidance, to support members and their families in compensation claims for disability, illness or death related to their ADF service.
  7. Support Veterans suffering from poverty, sickness, loneliness, distress, misfortune, destitution or helplessness.
  8. Honour fallen Service personnel by commemorating their deeds and loss, presenting military eulogies when requested and ensuring deceased Service members have an appropriate resting place.
  9. Demonstrate Australian and Defence values and promote these with organisations such as local schools, via our various interactive programs.
  10. Where appropriate, work with community and other ex-Service organisations.
  11. Develop, promote and conduct commemorative and fund-raising events such as Digger Day.
  12. Keep members informed on issues impacting them and provide a connection with their former life in the ADF.
  13. Advocate for Veterans’ rights and the preservation of military heritage.
  14. Prerserve the history and contributions of our members, including through the oral history program.
  15. Seek Government grants and sponsorship to enable the Group to achieve its goals.

Version 2.0 (interim) dated 10 August 2026