Support my March in March
This year I will be taking on March in March to raise vital funds for life-changing mental health treatment for veterans.
Many people think of veterans as older members of society, people like my late dad who was a para and his brother who was a Prisoner of War in Stallag XVIIIB for much of WWII; or perhaps my great grandad who was an officer in the Boer War in the late 1800's; or an aunt who served in the (then) WRENs.
But veterans are also people like my brother, Iraq 1991 or my son, 18 yrs service under his belt and still going.
Or the young man I met through work, who'd given his best years to the army. He had no partner, no children, but friends who'd been through similar experiences in Afghanistan and neighbours who cared. I arrived when he'd already drunk half a bottle of whiskey and tied a horse rope around the bannister. Mental health services had discharged him hours earlier and he had nowhere to turn to. Where do you go at 9pm on a Friday night? Via a family member, I referred him to Combat Stress, their 24 hr helpline being a 'godsend' they said.
I never knew what happened to him in the end, but what if that had been my son? My brother? My dad, uncle, aunt ......... I'm sure they've all suffered PTSD in some way or other but thankfully we now have organisations to support and help.
Please help me to support those who support us.
Combat Stress is the UK's leading charity for veterans' mental health. For over a century, they've helped former servicemen and women deal with issues like trauma, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, they provide support to veterans from every service and every conflict.
I’m taking on March in March to help take vital steps towards ensuring veterans can get the support they need.
Thank you so much for your support and together we march!
