Combat Stress News Spring 2014 www.combatstress.org.uk
The magazine of the Veterans' Mental Health Charity
WOUNDED: The Legacy of War
A tribute in photographs
top of the
world Our supporters go on an epic journey to raise funds
A century of change How Combat Stress and Occupational Therapy have changed since World War I
recovery
Gary Driscoll: From Green Jacket to dinner jacket
Stronger together Combat Stress to join forces with The Royal British Legion Turn to page 9
+
Thank you!
From running up Everest to trekking across the Sahara, our supporters continue to raise vital funds
Ed Straker photographed by Thomas Benson
Contents Spring 2014
5
14
Welcome to Combat Stress News from our Chief Executive, ANDREW CAMERON
T
his is my first opportunity to wish all our supporters a Happy New Year and to thank you for your help and generosity. This is the year we formally withdraw from Afghanistan and end the longest continuous period of war fighting overseas for over 200 years. It marks the beginnings of the centenary commemorations for World War I and the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Ex-Services (Mental) Welfare Society – Combat Stress. Now, as in 1919 at the end of the First World War, our work really begins as so many ex-Service personnel come to terms with the horrors of warfare. To prepare for this difficult period, we have largely overhauled our facilities and services at Combat Stress, as well as adding capacity and new treatment programmes. This includes a substance misuse service, which will be rolled out first in Scotland and then, we hope, throughout the UK. This year we also start to reshape our Community and Outreach Services. We will be joining forces with The Royal British Legion to provide mental health support in Veterans’ Pop-In Centres on the high street. Our first site, based in Liverpool, will open its doors in March. See page 9 for the full story. I hope you find this newsletter stimulating and please let us know if you have any comments by emailing feedback@combatstress.org.uk.
Andrew Cameron CHIEF EXECUTIVE
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE... 4
News
5
Remembrance
8
Expert’s corner
9
New Pop-In Centres
10
Correspondence
11
Case study: Gary Driscoll
12
Staff focus
13
Star supporters
14
Thank you!
16
Corporate support
17
Fundraising
18
Events round-up
19
Ways to give
20
Recycle for us
13 11
100,000
the number of Veterans we have supported so far
HOW YOU CAN HELP See pages 14-20 for inspiration
COMBAT STRESS Tyrwhitt House, Oaklawn Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0BX Helpline 0800 138 1619 General enquiries 01372 587 000 Email contactus@combatstress.org.uk Published by James Pembroke Publishing, Bath Combat Stress News © Combat Stress 2014 Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society. Company registered in England and Wales No 256353, Charity No 206002, Charity Scotland No SC038828 SPRING 2014 | COMBAT STRESS | 3
Newsspring2014 How Combat Stress supports those Veterans who have returned from military service
£4,956 Two weeks’ of mid-intensity treatment
£96,819
Troops will soon return for good from Afghanistan – many will need help
Annual cost of a bed at a treatment centre
EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS Half the battle to getting better is finding out how to access appropriate help. We will be teaming up with The Royal British Legion, which is setting up ‘Pop-In Centres’ in high streets across the country, to offer our expertise in Veterans mental health. The first centre is in Liverpool. More on page 9.
£1.3 million: the cost of conflict ALTHOUGH MOST British troops have left Afghanistan, for many the battle goes on. By October 2013, Combat Stress had seen a rapid increase in Afghanistan Veterans seeking help. When fighting intensified, we supported 59 Veterans of Afghanistan, but in October we were working with 519. In the past year we have seen a 27% rise in the number of Afghanistan Veterans in need of treatment.
The personal cost to the Veterans is impossible to quantify, but the help we give them to battle back to a normal life is. By October 2013 we’d provided nearly 4,000 days of intensive residential treatment at our three centres and thousands of group and one-to-one therapy sessions and workshops through our Community and Outreach Teams. The cost of in-patient or residential treatments alone amounts to £1.3 million.
With 4% of those deployed to Afghanistan predicted to show signs of PTSD and 20% likely to suffer from a common mental health condition, Combat Stress is calling for more support to meet the cost of treating the growing number of those suffering. We have made big strides towards securing our financial base, to generate extra income and manage it more effectively, but we will continue to rely on the generosity of donors.
THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THE RESERVIST
IN THE LAST three years we have educated over 3,200 Reservists, military staff and healthcare professionals working with Reservists. The Westminster Foundation funds our work with Reservists which includes a dedicated team of two Combat Stress Reserve Forces Liaison Officers. This team understands the specific needs of the Reservist. With the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan this year comes change to both serving and reserve troops. We have adapted our approach to increase the working hours available to the Reserve Forces Liaison Team. The team will work with more local and regional organisations and with the military on its Trauma Risk Management programme. The Reserve Forces Liaison Team will also work with and offer training to local authorities, NHS Armed Forces networks and organisations in the third sector working to support Reservists. Visit www.combatstress.org.uk/veterans/support-for reservist/
DIARY PLANNER 13 April London Marathon
9 May Centenary Sky Dive
May/June Everest climb
3 July Royal Geographic Society Lecture ‘Out of the Silence’
5 July Battle Proms season starts with Burghley House
Don’t miss the spectacular Battle Proms
FOR MORE DETAILS of all our events please see the Events Planner insert or visit the website: www.combatstress.org.uk
If you would like to support Combat Stress call us on 01372 587 140 or email fundraising@combatstress.org.uk 4 | COMBAT STRESS | SPRING 2014
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WORLD WAR I ANNIVERSARY
Left to right: Veterans at Eden Manor; helping to produce the first electric blankets at Thermega; modern Occupational Therapy activities
HEALING WOUNDED MINDS How Occupational Therapy and Combat Stress have developed and changed since the end of World War I
T
his year marks the centenary of the First World War and we will all remember the sacrifices made by those who served in the UK Armed Forces and across the globe. For the survivors, the psychological scars were too much. Combat Stress (the Ex-Services Welfare Society as it was first known) emerged as a charity to help heal those with wounded minds. In 2014 we also commemorate 95 years of supporting Veterans with mental ill-health. Our goal remains the same: to return Veterans to a fulfilling life and good mental health, but the methods and therapies at our disposal have changed. Our founders recognised psychological trauma and the need to deal with its aftermath, realising that many casualties of the First World War were overlooked and suffering from the condition described as ‘shell shock’. Contemporary accounts attributed shell shock to a head wound but many were affected by the unprecedented scale and concentration of noise, destruction and death of modern mechanised war. Treatment offered by the Army was, in the first instance, designed to return soldiers to the battlefield. By the end
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of the war, the nation was faced with a large number of soldiers – many labelled as failures or cowards – who were unable to return to families and get on with normal life. They couldn’t earn a wage and families were often unable to cope with erratic, sometimes aggressive behaviour – now more widely understood as symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Finding a purpose Many believe that the vocational rehabilitation techniques of 1919 were developed out of necessity, but the roots of what we now call Occupational Therapy go back to the Boer War when convalescing soldiers were occupied with quilt making. Vocational Rehabilitation, as used after World War I, also reflected the morality of the time, which demanded a high degree of social conformity and the idea that to be part of society a man had to be productive with regular work habits. Over several years Army doctors learnt that their patients needed to be able to make purposeful, coordinated movements, in order to make the first steps back to working
life. The tasks were introduced incrementally from simple crafts, such as basket weaving or knitting, progressing to vocational work such as typewriting or mechanical drawing. This can be compared to the modern use of activity or occupation to distract the mind from unwanted thoughts while allowing a new connection to be made between mind, body and environment during the activity. The famous war hospital, Craiglockhart near Edinburgh, treated war poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. There, a doctor called Captain Brock believed the soldiers who had become disconnected from the world through trauma needed to reconnect with their environment in purposeful activity and function through working. “If the essential thing for the patient to do is to help himself,” he said, “the essential thing for a doctor to do – the only thing he can profitably do – is to help him to help himself.” He encouraged Service men to teach at local schools and work at farm jobs – adding meaning to their lives, gaining new skills and expressing themselves. SPRING 2014 | COMBAT STRESS | 5
WORLD WAR I ANNIVERSARY
OTHER WAYS TO GIVE
Please visit our website to see other ways you can help
The strength of the willow Occupational Therapy is a big part of how we help Veterans to re-enter everyday life. What does this treatment offer?
I
n the 21st century we use Occupational Therapy (OT) to do much the same as in the past and more. Our aim is to help Veterans to regain former strengths – to be like the proverbial willow tree, which has enormous resilience with its pliable, bending branches and a deep root structure that keeps it upright in the fiercest winds. In some instances, OT is a soothing and relaxing way to create a calm mind; welcome relief from intrusive and unwanted thoughts. It can provide a powerful vehicle to unlock deeply buried emotions that must be acknowledged and defused. Occupational Therapy is also a wonderful tool for learning life skills, vocational training, making friends and doing something truly enjoyable. It has the capacity to make a Veteran feel better about themselves and their
Cooking promotes a new life skill, healthy eating and sociability
Baking isn’t just a trend – it helps Veterans reconnect to everyday life
situation – and smooth out a few of the bumps on the road to recovery.
Starting a journey Today our Occupational Therapists come to us with extensive education and training, and with a real passion to help Veterans. They must be able to assess a Veteran’s full range of needs and form a plan to meet them. They work closely with our other clinicians and, most importantly, the Veteran to set a series of achievable goals to enable him or her to take charge of the whole of the recovery process. They understand too that everyone is different and their needs may vary from physical adaptations in their home or coping with learning difficulties, to specific religious and cultural requirements. We support Veterans on their journey to recovery and to develop the resilience that will help them avoid relapses. In group sessions we use a range of
activities to focus on the positive. Veterans achieve a real sense of wellbeing, which allows them to progress on the recovery pathway. We talk about five ways to achieve well-being: connecting and communicating; becoming active; taking notice; learning; giving. We have group sessions on topics which promote resilience, well-being and recovery resulting in positive affirmations and self esteem. Groups may include planning healthy meals, exercise and understanding strengths and weaknesses. Activity sessions include woodwork masterclasses, music lessons, archaeology groups, creative writing, cooking skills sessions, willow weaving, pet therapy, basic IT skills, t’ai chi, yoga (soon to start), gardening and other vocational rehabilitation. We work with outside agencies including vocational rehabilitation colleges and services, The Royal British Legion and SSAFA for welfare and employment support,
ACHIEVE WELL-BEING THROUGH: Close relationships with family and friends A positive view of yourself and confidence in your strengths and abilities The ability to manage strong feelings and impulses
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Good problem-solving and communication skills Feeling in control Seeking help and using resources Seeing yourself as resilient (not a victim)
Coping with stress in healthy ways and avoiding harmful behaviours Helping others Finding positive meaning in life despite difficult or traumatic events
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WORLD WAR I ANNIVERSARY
95 years of Combat Stress “We put them on their road to recovery with new ways of thinking and being” universities, colleges, local mental health services and other charities. If required, we make contact with a Veteran’s workplace too. We work hard to ensure that all our group and individual activities can be continued on in the community after our courses end.
1919
Founded in May 1919, in 1927 Combat Stress sets up an ‘industrial colony’ to provide better wages for Veterans and extra funding. It develops one of the firstever electric blankets to be sold in the UK.
1939
On 3 September Neville Chamberlain declares war – World War II. In 2014, Combat Stress was helping to rehabilitate 201 Veterans traumatised by World War II.
1945
Discovering new meaning We understand that not all Veterans are academic and may struggle in some of our classes. Our occupational therapies are designed to allow Veterans to express themselves through a creative childhood and explore possible childhood traumas that they may have experienced, in addition to their service-related injuries. Veterans are able to discover interests and skills that they did not realise they possessed or could put to practical use. Through our OT groups and interventions we have got Veterans back into training, education and employment. We have given them the tools to discover a new meaning in their lives and rediscover past roles and accomplishments. We put them on their road to recovery with new ways of thinking and being. For more details on our treatment centres go to www.combatstress.org.uk/ veterans/treatment-centres/ Art is one of the classes on offer aiding rehabilitation
Tyrwhitt House, Surrey, opens so Service men and women can access the residential care needed to rebuild their lives. Today, 1,101 Veterans can access treatment here.
1985
Hollybush House in Ayrshire opens, providing support and care to an increasing number of Veterans. It currently helps 1,599 people.
1996
Audley Court in Shropshire is purchased. Our expert staff currently help 1,296 Veterans from here.
2003
HRH Prince of Wales becomes Patron of Combat Stress, taking over from the Queen Mother, who served as Patron for some 60 years.
2010
Combat Stress launches The Enemy Within Appeal. The three-year Appeal helped raise awareness of the plight of Veterans and secured vital funds.
2014
We celebrate our 95th year having supported over 100,000 Veterans. Today, we are working with 5,400 Veterans – the need for our services grows year on year.
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SPRING 2014 | COMBAT STRESS | 7
EXPERT’S CORNER
Tackling PTSD accompanied by pain or depression
Dr Walter Busuttil looks at how Support Veterans can be helped when We are currently pain, in a variety of forms, is supporting more than an unwelcome part of Post 5,400 ex-Service men and women, including 806 Traumatic Stress Disorder
C
hronic pain is a common physical problem reported by people who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), including military Veterans. Studies suggest that having PTSD may make a person more pain aware in general, but why do PTSD and pain commonly exist together? PTSD has three major symptom clusters that include re-experiencing the trauma in nightmares, flashbacks and intrusive memories; hyper arousal and emotional numbing with an increase in physical muscle tension; and behaviour that helps avoid any reminders of the original psychological trauma. Many such events will lead directly to the experience of pain such as injuries sustained in combat, natural disasters, physical assault and traffic accidents. There is evidence that the more severe the traumatic event, the more likely it is the person will experience some kind of physical injury as well as developing PTSD. Often, the very symptoms of PTSD are painful. Hyperarousal symptoms – always being alert to danger –
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Issues of pain and depression need to be recognised and tackled together
who served in Iraq and 519 who served in Afghanistan.
increases muscle tension, which can worsen or cause chronic pain. Flashbacks to the moment of the trauma can also result in pain sensations – flashbacks are experienced using all of our senses including feelings of pain.
Co-existence PTSD commonly co-exists with other psychological illnesses, such as depression, creating other issues to tackle. People with PTSD and depression often avoid or limit physical activities, which may result in disability and poorer health generally, leading to an increase in the likelihood of problems with pain. Pain disturbs sleep, as does PTSD, and both influence how much interaction a person will tolerate outside the home and with others in general, or whether they will be active at work or socially. So it is crucial to look at the Veteran’s symptoms from all angles and address the issues together. Treatment of PTSD and depression may alleviate some pain symptoms, as treating chronic pain may alleviate symptoms of PTSD
and depression. Your GP can prescribe pain medications, refer you to physiotherapy and recommend use of a TENS machine, with its low electric current to stimulate the nerves to reduce chronic pain. Referral to a specialist in pain management may be considered too. These work with psychologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, and advise on medications, modification of lifestyle and coming to terms with living with pain and disability. Such specialists also liaise with the psychiatrist treating PTSD and depression so that all interventions are coordinated. Many Veterans don’t mention chronic pain when being assessed. We know it causes problems for Veterans, so we must make a special effort to identify and help treat PTSD’s other unwelcome ‘travelling companions’.
DR WALTER BUSUTTIL has been Director of Medical Services for Combat Stress since 2007. His career in traumatic stress disorders started in 1989 during a 16-year service as a military psychiatrist in the RAF.
“Flashbacks to the moment of the trauma can also result in pain sensations” WWW.COMBATSTRESS.ORG.UK
COMMUNITY
MAKING THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS IN CARE
The new Pop-In Centre was launched at the end of 2013
Joining forces to deliver better services
W
e are looking forward to an innovative new partnership between Combat Stress, The Royal British Legion, the NHS and other agencies to deliver better support and help to Veterans. Late last year The Royal British Legion (TRBL) launched in Liverpool the first in a series of Pop-In Advice and Information Centres specifically for Veterans. These will be branded ‘Pop-In’ centres. Combat Stress will be providing a dedicated member of staff to work in the centre alongside TRBL and Pennine Care NHS, to provide for the full range of Veterans’ needs, which may vary from financial and benefits advice, NHS support for alcohol and drug misuse issues to our programmes to help heal psychological wounds. By putting the centres in high streets, we will encourage more Veterans to come forward to get all the help they need – in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
A package of care By the end of this year, TRBL plans to have 16 Pop-In Centres up and
We are delighted to welcome Rosie Winyard to the Combat Stress team. Rosie heads the new Substance Misuse Case Management Service (SMCMS) pilot scheme. The service will running across the country. The pull together resources from centres will provide a highly visible across the NHS, the military and presence in local communities third sector organisations. for Veterans and their families to The new service aims to access a package of care. We will work closely with substance work closely with TRBL to put misuse services to manage the sites in areas where we the best possible care for know the need is greatest. Veterans with substance These centres will increase misuse issues. This pays for one the number of Veterans hour of art therapy will offer support and we are able to reach and coordinate treatment for five Veterans complement our existing between services, to Community and Outreach enable a more effective Services to make best use of our experience and achieve the resources. We understand, though, best possible outcomes. that for some Veterans even the Leading the service, Rosie will journey to a nearby Pop-In Centre, let draw on 15 years of experience alone one of our regional treatment in mental health and addiction centres, may be too daunting. We programmes in primary and will, of course, continue to take our secondary health services. She expertise right into the Veteran’s is the co-author of Substance home if that’s where it is needed. Misuse in Primary Care: A MultiDisciplinary Approach and has The Legion’s new Pop-In Advice a real passion for teaching, and Information Centre to serve training and education. the Cheshire & Merseyside area is based at 25-31 Williamson Street, Liverpool L1 1EB. Its normal opening hours will be 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
“Combat Stress will be providing a dedicated member of staff to work in the centre” WWW.COMBATSTRESS.ORG.UK
£55
Rosie Winyard
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Community
We love hearing from Veterans and supporters – don’t hesitate to get in touch with your feedback
5,400
The number of ex-Service men and women who we are currently supporting
COMMUNICATION HIGHWAY Charities raise awareness of their work and appeal for funds in whatever media best suits the audience. Our newsletter has a strong readership and our leaflets are widely distributed where both supporters and Veterans may find them, but there are many people we reach through our website, Twitter and Facebook. Whenever we have an interesting story we post or tweet. When we asked our friends to share the Combat Stress 24-hour Helpline number in November, we were amazed at the response. Thanks to the likes, shares and comments from people on Facebook, our message about remembering the effect that fireworks can have on a Veteran, and our helpline number (0800 138 1619), reached almost 80,000 people. Our Facebook and Twitter pages are part of a massive online community where we can tell tens of thousands of people about the work that we do and the life that we offer beyond the symptoms of PTSD. In December we share messages that we receive from supporters who respond to our Candle of Hope letter appeal, an annual mailing where we ask people who have donated to Combat Stress in the past to think of Veterans who need our help over Christmas. Our social media pages are not set up to offer clinical support but our helpline is always open. If Veterans, personnel or families would like to talk to someone online we recommend Big White Wall (www.bigwhitewall.com). What you said about the Candle of Hope:
On Twitter “When you are feeling low, remember there are people in this country who really appreciate what you have done for all of us and our safety” “Just remember in your darkest hour, there is always someone thinking of you”
On Facebook “You are the bravest people we could ever meet, and we all owe you so much. You have gone through so much to keep us all safe and we can never thank you enough” “Please remember you are not alone and however long a dark tunnel seems, there is always a light at the end which will grow brighter and brighter”
A POWERFUL MESSAGE Our advertising campaign in September carried a powerful message about suicide among young Veterans suffering from mental ill-health. The campaign was featured in national press and radio, and outdoor on trains and the London Underground. Did you spot our ad? Here are some feedback highlights. “I have been engaged by your advertising on the radio. I am a retired GP. Years ago I was consulted by an ex-soldier suffering a depressive illness. He was consumed by guilt at having shot dead one man FLE MA N TH E RE LUC TA NT RI during the troubles in Ireland. I didn’t quite understand; this was well before kill.” to my Ar the join n’t “I did . said r anyone recognised PTSD. I wrote the die sol the That’s what g.” poem (see left) ‘The Reluctant Rifleman’ “I joined to have a livin d. in memory of him. The men and … And now a man is dea women who serve our country deserve orders.” ing low fol y onl e wer “You . said better. Now, I think I understand.” MO the t That’s wha
soldier.” “You’re a professional is dead.” n ma a now … “So what? my: They said he was my ene . uise disg in A devil ’t harm me, Now he’s dead he can was lies! said y the t But wha all: He wasn’t my enemy at line. the of side ng Just the wro d him fall. che wat I as n the t wep I ’ll be fine!” “Take these pills and you I killed. I never knew the man e. nam his say He didn’t I spilled. od blo his , ced odu ntr Uni Now he’s dead ... . WE’RE ALL TO BLAME
What you said about our adverts:
On Twitter “So glad to see ads for this fab charity @CombatStress making an appearance on SW trains”
This poem was written by a retired GP who was moved by the difficulties some Veterans face
What’s in a name? Last issue of Combat Stress News, we let you know about the research behind the charity rebranding and we hope you enjoy reading the new-look magazine. Before we rename our newsletter,
we would like input from our readers. Let us know which you prefer from the below titles: 1. Recovery Matters The newsletter of Combat Stress 2. CS Matters
The newsletter of Combat Stress 3. Combat Stress News Recovering well with Combat Stress Please email your choice to the address below.
SEND FEEDBACK TO: The Editor, Communications Team, Combat Stress, Tyrwhitt House, Oaklawn Rd, Leatherhead KT22 0BX Email: feedback@combatstress.org.uk @CombatStress; www.facebook.com/CombatStress 10 | COMBAT STRESS | SPRING 2014
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£354
GARY’S EXPERIENCE
The cost per clinical treatment day
£200
The travel needs of a Veteran
From Green Jacket to dinner jacket Gary Driscoll talks about his journey from leaving the Army to discovering he had PTSD and seeking help from Combat Stress
G
ary joined the Royal Green Jackets in 1979, aged 19, and served for 17 years. He completed five tours of duty in Northern Ireland. In 1981 Gary was on patrol in Northern Ireland with a Royal Marine team. While in the back of a Land Rover he was shot at four times. Gary and three Royal Marines headed off through a hostile crowd to find out where the shots had come from. A terrified couple, whose house had been commandeered by the IRA, established that the terrorists had fled. Back at base, Gary had to deal with his brush with death and with the police investigation of his attempted murder. Training had prepared
Gary enjoys singing. It helped him distance himself from harmful behaviour like excessive drinking
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him for conventional warfare of opposing armies, but this seemed personal. Gary returned to Germany, but remained anxious between tours. He became a team commander and no further harm came to him, though it did to members of his Company. With each death or casualty, the pressure to remain strong grew. “In those days,” Gary said, “no one talked about it. You didn’t have counselling; you got on with it.”
High alert When Gary became a Platoon Sergeant, he noticed changes. His marriage broke down, small things upset him and all that mattered was the battalion. His last job before leaving the Army in 1995 was Recruiting Colour Sergeant, a desk job he found routine and boring. He missed the old life and began to drink. He knew this wasn’t right and, luckily, his local pub had ‘open mic’ nights. So Gary sang to ease himself away from the drink and boredom. And it worked, to a point. Gary had always been able to hold down a job since leaving the Army so he felt his
Gary as a young infantryman in the 1980s. He was diagnosed with PTSD long after he left the army in 1995
problems, such as drinking, nightmares and flashbacks, didn’t merit getting help. His second wife, Maria, who knew how he suffered, suggested he contact Combat Stress. Her encouragement, and that of a supportive employer and colleagues, helped him to engage in therapy and led to the formal diagnosis of PTSD. Gary has learned that he will always have some trouble, but he can live a better life now and ‘switch off’ from the trauma. “PTSD is not just a carry-on from the incident, it’s how you fit into society, having been an infantry soldier for all that time,” he said. Gary still has close ties with his regiment and works voluntarily for the Royal Green Jackets Regimental Association. He realises that being with like-minded people is key to the success achieved by Combat Stress. “On the course, as soon as you come through those gates, you’ve found a safe place. I learned where I stood; that I could help myself.” Gary still sings. His mellow repertoire ranges from Frank Sinatra to Matt Munro – all, of course, done his way.
First steps This year many exService personnel will join one of our residential treatment courses and take steps on the journey to overcome the trauma of active duty. Like Gary Driscoll, who lives in Essex with his wife Maria, some Veterans will show little or no outward signs of damage or stress. However, each will bear psychological wounds that need to, and can, be healed.
MINDFULNESS Gary says: “I was an instructor, so I wanted to go to everything I could at Combat Stress and take it all in. I learned about mindfulness – how the brain works, why you’ve got the traumas in the back of your head – and I now know they have got to go somewhere. I am lucky, even though I have PTSD, I can listen and understand. My wife is behind me and I don’t drink every night now, so I have got back to being just a normal guy. I have learned to be mindful and aware of PTSD. It’s the switching off that you don’t get taught in the army.”
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meet our team
5 things I’ve learnt
John Marham, from Surrey Veterans’ Mental Health Partnership with Combat Stress and the NHS, shares five valuable learning points
1
Have a job you love
I feel privileged and blessed to do my job. I work as a Community Psychiatric Nurse to give evidence-based assessments, including risk assessments, mental health treatment and support for Veterans in their own homes. Every day I am helping to make Veterans’ lives better and contributing to the good results we consistently achieve – and that makes me want to do more for each and every Veteran I work with.
2
Two heads are better than one
I have been seconded from Combat Stress as Surrey Veterans’ Mental Health Lead to provide an easily accessible and nonjudgemental service. I help Veterans across Surrey get the help they need from whatever source is most appropriate. I really know my way around the system, and it can be a major struggle for many people, especially if they are asking for help for
the first time. Good care can come from the NHS, specificneeds treatment programmes and Combat Stress. Most people need a combination, so I help them get the best care and make the best use of precious resources.
3
Innovation rules
I’m always on the lookout for new ways to do things. Before joining Combat Stress, I helped to set up and run one of the first Ministry of Defence units operated by the NHS to provide a range of specialist mental health and substance misuse facilities. I know the value of scanning the horizon for a different angle on the situation. With my Surrey Veterans hat on, I take the lead on working collaboratively with other organisations. The more we know about the workings of the services and agencies we partner with, the more we can do together. I like to think Combat Stress is leading the way in creating a seamless integrated pathway for Veterans’ recovery.
“I work closely with the families to make sure they know how they can support their loved one” 12 | combat stress | spring 2014
John was born in Manchester and joined the Army at 16, where he served for 23 years in the Scots Guards in several theatres of operation, including the Gulf War (1990-91). While there he was attached to 33 Field Hospital. He completed his service at the rank of Colour Sergeant and then went on to train as a mental health nurse in Cambridge. Once qualified, John practised in various units before joining us.
4
Families are important
Our primary aim is to improve the quality of life for both Veterans and their families. Getting the family on board is absolutely crucial to helping the Veteran get better. I work closely with the families whenever I can to make sure they know how they can support their loved one. The healing journey is not an easy one for any of us, but I give families a ‘heads up’ to let them know what to expect along the way, and I reassure them that there is every reason to be hopeful about the future.
5
We speak the same language
It is incredibly useful to have a foot in both camps, so to speak, thanks to my military and nursing experience. I feel able to make a real connection with the Veterans and the medical professionals with whom I work. It means I can
get to the heart of the matter quickly, and that means a good result for the Veteran and better use of NHS and other agencies’ time.
Number crunching In the last financial year Combat Stress received 1,700 new referrals – 12% more than the previous year. 83.7% of
Veterans who seek help from Combat Stress are ex-Army. Three per cent of our active Veterans are female. www.combatstress.org.uk
Connections
REMEMBRANCE
December 2013 saw 490 people get in touch with Combat Stress. This figure included: 218 from the Army, 37 from the Royal Navy and 33 from the RAF
It’s all about hope
1
R
ock star-turned photographer Bryan Adams has published a book honouring the sacrifice of British soldiers who suffered life-changing injuries while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Wounded: The Legacy of War is a collection of more than 100 photographs of 40 physically and psychologically injured Service men and women. The images reveal the courage of the troops in overcoming their disability or disfigurement and are accompanied by haunting interviews providing a narrative to the soldier’s journey to recovery.
4
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Bryan said: “This cross section of men and women from the British Army gives us an idea of what people have had to endure. Most important to remember, these people got out with their lives but had to start again.” The book is the result of a five-year collaboration between Bryan and ITN Deputy News Editor Caroline Froggatt, who has produced several news reports on the issues affecting serving personnel during and after their deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Raising awareness Combat Stress is one of five charities to benefit from the proceeds of Wounded. Bryan said that through working on the book he developed a greater awareness and understanding of the impact psychological injuries can have on serving personnel. “After spending five years working on this, seeing people from all walks of life and the way they are coping and dealing with the psychological injuries, hearing about how much therapy is involved, you can’t help but become aware,” he said. “I’m most grateful to everyone that helped me to understand what it must
Photos 1, 2 & 4: Rex Features
A special project by rock legend and photographer Bryan Adams puts the spotlight on wounded soldiers from recent conflicts
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1 Author/editor Caroline Froggatt (centre) and Bryan Adams with Veterans at the book launch for Wounded: The Legacy of War 2 Among the celebrities to support the book launch was Hugh Grant, centre, here seen with (l-r) Corporal Simon Brown, Lance Corporal Martyn Compton and Lance Corporal Rob Long who feature in the book 3 Hannah Campbell, who left her daughter behind to go and work in Iraq and returned as the only mother in the Army to have lost a limb in a war zone 4 Bryan Adams and Caroline Froggat show off their poignant new book
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be like to have to readjust to life and society after being injured.” The book ends with the photograph and story of Corporal Ryan Knight who was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after being injured in Afghanistan. “It seemed poignant to end with Ryan because he, like many soldiers, came home after witnessing horrific scenes of death and destruction and was expected to just drop back into society, find work and act as if nothing had ever happened,” Bryan said. “No visible wound doesn’t mean you weren’t wounded.”
WOUNDED: THE LEGACY OF WAR photographs by Bryan Adams, edited by Caroline Froggatt, is available from Amazon SPRING 2014 | COMBAT STRESS | 13
Fundraising
Our supporters continue to amaze us with inventive and challenging ways to raise funds
Thank you! Running, singing, dancing, trekking, paddling, cycling, entertaining and car booting. Here are just some of the people and organisations we’d like to thank for all their hard work
T
he remarkable Walk on Wales, organised by Jan and Fiona Koops and Dai Graham, was an 870-mile, seven-week test of endurance that raised over £300,000 for Combat Stress and the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal. Walking through some of Britain’s most stunning coastal scenery and involving hundreds of participants along the way, this was a brilliantly successful fundraiser and community event. See: www.walkonwales.org
T20 Inter Services Cricket 2013: For the second year running, the Combined Services Sports Association kindly chose to support Combat Stress at its annual event held at the prestigious Lord’s Cricket Club. A full day of great cricket was finally won by the Army Team. Many thanks to Lord’s, Captain Peter Sharland CBE, Graham Robinson and the whole IST20 committee. The day raised over £7,500.
£124
In November, John Hart, with the support of Fluidity Films, organised a private screening of the film Private Peaceful (written by author Michael Morpurgo) at the Everyman in Winchester. The event was attended by the film’s producer Guy de Beaujeu, several members of the cast and a full house of 200 people. A thoroughly enjoyable evening that raised over £9,000.
An hour with a psychiatrist
late illness and extreme altitude conditions to complete the race – see: runningrob.com
Dan Johnson, former Royal Marine Corporal Bugler, released ‘LOYALTY (honour our own)’, an album of original rock songs, in support of Combat Stress. Details: danjohnsonmusic.co.uk
British 10K London Run in July raised around £10,000 and 60 runners in October’s Royal Parks Half Marathon collectively raised over £29,000.
654 Squadron, although currently on deployment in Afghanistan, continues to support us with inter-unit volleyball tournaments and growing some questionable facial hair! To support their efforts go to: justgiving.com/654SQN COMBATSTRESS
‘Running Rob’ Shenton ran the gruelling Everest Marathon in November, which began with a 16-day trek even before the proper race had started! Rob battled a
Battle Proms 2013 was another fantastic season raising over £23,000 during six shows, with an additional donation from JSL, the Proms’ production team. To
90 runners in a sweltering
654 Squadron have supported us with volleyball tournaments
mark the Centenary of World War I, Battle Proms 2014 will be better than ever with stunning aerial displays, cannon fire, cavalry displays and fireworks, set in the grounds of some of England’s finest country houses. We need volunteers at each show to help with fundraising. Contact ellie. hall@combatstress. org.uk if you can help. Tickets: battleproms.com – but make sure you contact us for a special Combat Stress supporter’s discount code before you purchase your tickets!
We are grateful to everyone who has given up their time and energy to fundraise on our behalf, and to everyone who has donated. Your stories and commitment are spectacular and we thank every one of you. 14 | COMBAT STRESS | SPRING 2014
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FUNDRAISING
£27
The cost of a one-hour helpline call
A special thanks to… Lady Rowley for her annual Naseby Hall coffee morning. Raymond Stevenson, the late Channing Day’s grandfather, and the Day family for raising funds in her memory.
Follow Ed Straker and Thomas Benson as they cycle 14,000 miles from Chile to Alaska
The spectacular Welsh coast – the setting for the successful Walk on Wales
Robert Marshall raised £6,584 by completing the gruelling Marathon de Sables Ultramarathon, a multistage, five-day, 165-mile race through the foothills of the Sahara Desert.
Adrian Ellis and five C130 Ground Engineers completed a Land’s End to John O’Groats cycling challenge – including a hike across the Three Peaks – and raised £8,005.59 in less-thanideal weather conditions! Battle Proms will be spectacular in 2014 – it raised £23,000 in 2013
Benedict and Thomas Wiegman completed a gruelling trek up Mount Kilimanjaro – battling altitude sickness, high winds and -15°F temperatures to raise £8,820. Benedict is now studying at Bristol University and Tom has begun officer training at Sandhurst.
Georgina Briggs trekked across the Sahara Desert raising over £2,860. Georgina successfully completed the 10-day event and later gave a talk about her experience at a fundraising dinner.
Thorntoun Nursing Home exceeded all previous records when manager Rhona Gibson presented Combat Stress with a cheque for £3,500 raised from the summer fête and dance. In total, Rhona and the ladies' Orange Association have raised over £13,000 across Scotland for Combat Stress.
In September, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs held a Commemoration Service in St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, for the 500th Anniversary of the Battle of Flodden. Thanks to sponsorship from EDF Renewable and Bonhams, Combat Stress received over £10,000 from the service.
Looking forward An eight-man team will climb Everest this spring via the North Face. For more details on their ‘Out of the Silence’ expedition go to page 18, and to support their climb go to: http:// uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ team/BritishArmyEverest14 Old school friends Ed Straker and Thomas Benson are on an epic 14,000-mile cycle ride from Punta Arenas, Chile, to Alaska, via the Andes, the salt flats of Bolivia, the Atacama Desert, Route 66 Los Angeles and Seattle. Check out their progress and donate: http://10million pedals.co.uk/ Three junior military doctors, Alexander Bamford, George Graham and Michael Thompson, are taking on the Arctic Ultra Marathon, a 150km, 43-hour footrace through the Arctic. Check on their progress and donate at: just giving.com/teams/arctic-ultra
Tim Shapland who completed ‘Project Longstride’, a 100-mile sponsored walk raising £7,471.53. David Taylor, Andy Jones and Dean Clifford completed a 90-mile canoe paddle to raise over £1,000. Isabelle Quigley from Hurlford and Jean Burns and May McKelvie from Drongan Schaw Kirk, with groups of ladies making and selling felted and knitted poppies, raised funds for Combat Stress. Isabelle’s group raised £1,635. Diana de Lisle raised £5,000 at her very special car boot sale at Bulwick Park. Congratulations to Veteran Tony Gardner who won Eagle Radio’s ‘Local Heroes Military Pride’ award for his fundraising. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Bernie Hewitt raised over £800 with his accordion on the streets of Dunfermline. Members of Q Shoot's annual clay pigeon shoot near Stair raised £4,300. Supporters William Collins and Steven Greer bungee jumped from a bridge in Perthsire to raise over £900.
If you would like to support Combat Stress call us on 01372 587 140 or email fundraising@combatstress.org.uk WWW.COMBATSTRESS.ORG.UK
SPRING 2014 | COMBAT STRESS | 15
Our supporters
PROUD SUPPORTERS
How our work is helped by companies
Lakethorne Group, Facilities Management Services is proud to support Combat Stress as its chosen charity partner.
Goldman Sachs team salt of the earth GOLDMAN SACHS volunteers helped to transform a rubblestrewn area of our Surrey treatment centre Tyrwhitt House’s grounds into a lovely wildflower meadow. The meadow is close by the Therapeutic Garden that Community Team Works volunteers planted in summer 2012. The large meadow was cleared of stones and bricks before volunteers applied the wildflower seed mix.
The meadow will attract bees, butterflies and other wildlife, as well as becoming a beauty spot. The volunteers began the day with an introduction to our work with Veterans, before undertaking a full day of ground work. We are extremely grateful to them – as we are to all those who volunteer for us. The meadow will bring delight, joy and calm to our Veterans for many years.
SAY IT WITH FLOWERS INTERFLORA, the floral experts, have partnered with Combat Stress to donate 10% of spend every time our supporters shop with them. Visit www. inteflora.co.uk to choose your flowers. Whether it is for Valentine’s or Mother’s Day, or simply a nice gesture, all you have to do is enter our unique Donation Code COMBATS at the promotional code section in the checkout. Then at no cost to you, you will be asking Interflora to send our ex-Service men and women a donation on your behalf.
IT KNOCKED OUR SOCKS OFF! OUR PATRON, HRH, The Prince of Wales, has helped to create Corgi’s Regimental Collection of nine sock designs, depicting the unique stripe and colours of each of the Regiments or Battalions of which HRH The Prince is Colonel or Colonel-in-Chief. These socks, made in Carmarthenshire,
South West Wales, using age-old techniques, are much more than a sartorial statement. For each pair sold, a pound has tip-toed our way. A cheque for £3,500, the amount raised by Corgi so far, will help us support the 380 Veterans in Wales in our care. Corgi’s Regimental Collection is now available for purchase through Corgi’s own website (www. corgihosiery.co.uk), selected UK retailers, and the individual regiments represented in the collection.
A decade on and still going strong OVER 10 YEARS AGO EG & LE Hubbard, specialist building contractors, began
supporting Combat Stress and they are still full of enthusiasm today. The team at Hubbard has organised fundraising activities, helped at our events and
championed our work with Veterans across the UK. We thank them for their dedication and hard work in the past and look forward to continued success in future.
Future giving BY LEAVING A gift to Combat Stress in your Will, you can help us to be there for Veterans struggling on the road to recovery long into the future. Who would have dreamt that the last Veteran of the Great War in our care would pass away, aged 98, in 1990? About 7% of the population makes a gift to charity through their Will. However, this figure lags behind the 74% of us who support a charity during our lifetime. Perhaps it’s because most people don’t understand how heavily we rely on the generosity of all donors, and on those who remember us in their Wills in particular. Some 15-20% of our voluntary income comes from legacies varying from under £100 to over £100,000. Helping us to make plans In the past 18 months, 77 of our supporters have told us that they have included us in their Will. We understand that this can be a very personal choice and that circumstances may change, but these pledges help us enormously to plan for the future. We keep each legacy pledge confidential but stay in touch with updates about our work and plans for the future. Since 1919 we have helped 100,000 Veterans to deal with the legacy of their wartime experience. We are hugely grateful to everyone who pledges to help us support those who will need us in the future. It’s easier than you think to leave us a legacy. After you have remembered your family and friends in your Will, you can leave Combat Stress a percentage of your estate, a specific cash amount or a specific item. Leaving gifts to charity can benefit your other beneficiaries. If you leave over 10% of your estate to charity, you may qualify to reduce inheritance tax from 40% to 36%. Please call 01372 587 153 for more information.
If you would like to support Combat Stress call us on 01372 587 140 or email fundraising@combatstress.org.uk 16 | COMBAT STRESS | SPRING 2014
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FUNDRAISING
Running for gold Our fundraisers are driven by personal and profound motivations. We asked some to tell us their stories THIS YEAR’S GOLDEN Bond London Marathon Runners aim to raise more for Combat Stress than ever before and spread the word that we are here to help Veterans on their journey toward recovery. We thought readers might like to know a little bit more about them, and why they have chosen to support us in a truly inspiring way. SIMON COBB is a criminal lawyer. “I’ve represented a number of people who had military service backgrounds. Often they had exemplary records, but after leaving the forces they found it difficult to cope with civilian life. It’s essential that those we send abroad for their country receive all the care they need when they return.”
£5
pays for 100 welfare leaflets
Family support Sally Orange's fruity fundraising efforts
BRUNO MUNSTONE is the founder of www. forcespenpals.co.uk, now in its 10th year. The site enables civilians to boost the morale of Service men and women on deployment. “We have fielded numerous emails from deeply upset people through the website and the fact that Combat Stress exists to help them gives them great peace of mind. I would like to back you to continue that work." SALLY ORANGE, who has run a number of marathons, is a physiotherapy officer in the Army and now serves as a Reservist. Sally has received treatment from Combat Stress and is running to say ‘thank you’ for our support. Look out for Sally on the day in her Pink Lady apple. CHARLIE JOHNSTON raised nearly £4,000 when he ran the Edinburgh marathon for us in 2012 and will run in both the London and Edinburgh Marathons for us this year. He is a member of the Scottish Committee at Hollybush House, our centre in Scotland.
MELISSA YATES is a journalist and has family experience of PTSD. Her stepfather, who has since passed away, was helped by Combat Stress. “I want to raise money for something that means so much to me, and as a thank you for the help he received.” JOE ROBINSON is a soldier serving with 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment. “On returning from Op Herrick 16 I have seen firsthand the help and support Combat Stress offers soldiers. I have a few friends who have received your support and they have nothing but good things to say. I think I owe it to the charity and the soldiers to help give something back.” ROY WOOD has worked for the Royal Mail for 14 years and ran the 10K London Run for us in 2011. “Like many people you deal with, I found out about Combat Stress the wrong way. A friend of mine took his own life in 2009 after serving five years in the Army. He was 25 years old. Running the marathon is the right thing to do. It can’t change what’s happened, but it might help someone.”
London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Sophie Hosking has raised £2,500 for Combat Stress by competing on BBC Celebrity Mastermind. Her appearance in the famous black chair in January saw her answer questions on her chosen subject, the London Underground. Sophie is the latest Hosking to support Combat Stress. Her father Cdr David Hosking, who served in the Royal Navy for 35 years, has undertaken two extraordinary challenges raising more than £34,000 for the charity. In 2011 David captained a six-man crew to break the world record for rowing 5,000km from the Canary Islands to Barbados. Last year his four-man crew attempted to break the world record for rowing non-stop around mainland Britain but were sadly forced to retire when their boat suffered steering problems.
Top: Thank you to Sophie Hosking for her sterling effort on Celebrity Mastermind. Above: Team Hallin – David Hosking, Julian Bellido, Neil Ward and Stuart Chamberlayne
If you would like to sponsor any of the above runners, please get in touch with us: thomas.wilman@combatstress.org.uk WWW.COMBATSTRESS.ORG.UK
SPRING 2014 | COMBAT STRESS | 17
FUNDRAISING
Events round-up
Dining with success
Thanks to our Events Team for helping to raise the profile of our vital work
Memories are made of this
The RAF Falcons made an unforgettable entrance
LAST YEAR WAS another successful year for the Combat Stress Events Team. We engaged with more people and helped raise £79,000 to benefit Veterans in our care. We had a wide range of events from clay pigeon shoots to concerts, a carol service and lively and informative talks. For sheer thrills though, the Clay Shoot at Royal Berkshire Shooting School couldn’t be beaten. The RAF Falcons made a truly memorable entrance and surprised guests by jumping from a Chinook to join them for lunch! The
magnificent display and mighty Chinook helicopter made the day. Thank you to everyone who attended, donated to and supported these events. Please visit our website to find out how you can have a truly memorable day and support our work this year. For details of more events and those to look forward to in 2014 go to combatstress. org.uk/events
£540 A one-day outpatients assessment
Out of the silence RESERVISTS FROM THE Honourable Artillery Company will attempt to scale Mount Everest this spring in aid of Combat Stress. The idea for the challenge came about when Captain Tim Bradshaw took a post-operational stress management course, making him think about the challenges many Reservists face adjusting to civilian life. Here Capt
Fundraisers will attempt to conquer Everest for Combat Stress this spring
Bradshaw explains why the expedition is so important to him. “When someone comes back from war having lost a limb, it is easy to see that they need help. However, when they return with a psychological injury it can be much more difficult for us to recognise that they are having difficulties. “I want to help these men and women understand that they should feel no shame. It takes an average of 13 years from Service discharge for Veterans to make the first approach to Combat Stress. This is often due to the stigma associated with mental ill-health.
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“My men and I want to stand on top of Mount Everest and shout out that it’s OK to ask for help. “We decided to take the northern route as it was discovered by British mountaineer George Mallory in 1921. Having survived World War I, he and other Veterans climbed in search of something bigger than themselves. In the year of the centenary of World War I, it is a tribute to those brave men to follow in their footsteps in aid of today’s Veterans.” Visit http://www.face book.com/britisharmy everest14 or to donate: http://uk.virginmoney giving.com/team/British ArmyEverest14
On Thursday 26 September 2013, Dr Rami Ranger MBE FRSA organised a sumptuous dinner for Combat Stress, hosted by The British Sikh Association. Our Chief Executive, Andrew Cameron, gave a well-received talk and thanked Dr Ranger for his contribution to the success of the night. Dr Ranger has become a strong and valued supporter of Combat Stress, also organising the Punjabi Society Diwali Dinner, which, together with the Sikh Association dinner, raised a splendid £20,000. It is clear that Dr Ranger has a wonderful flair for getting things going – he set up his first business in 1987 in a rented room in west London with a mere two pounds of capital and he now runs two of Britain’s fastest growing companies. Chairman of the British Sikh Association, which promotes interfaith dialogue, and a Fellow of the Prince’s Trust Enterprise Fellowship, which seeks to inspire young entrepreneurs, Dr Ranger is clearly a busy man. We are therefore very grateful to him for also taking a close interest in Combat Stress and look forward to working with him in the future.
Dr Rami Ranger is a valued supporter of Combat Stress
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FUNDRAISING
Help is available day and night We recently received the best sort of thank you note we can imagine. It went as follows:
“On 13 December, many years ago, while serving in Northern Ireland, I was seriously injured in an IRA ambush. I received some treatment for PTSD upon discharge, and thought I had beaten it. Two weeks ago I experienced a major flash-back of the incident, which appears to have opened ‘old wounds’.
Giving a gift to a Veteran is as easy as 1-2-3… 1.
Call us to use your credit card or set up a monthly Direct Debit: 01372 587 151
2. Visit our website: combatstress.org.uk/donate 3. Send us a cheque or credit card donation: FREEPOST SW3850 Tyrwhitt House, Oaklawn Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0BR Name Address
Postcode
“After looking at your website, I contacted the helpline and the person I spoke to was both understanding and superb to talk to. I would like to thank you for the help provided to me and all the other Veterans from all the conflicts that you have provided assistance to.” From RH
Email Please tick this box if you’re happy to receive emails from Combat Stress I wish to help Combat Stress provide care and support to ex-Service men and women so that they can cope with their trauma and reclaim their lives. • Our Community and Outreach Teams help Veterans at home and in the community. • Our three treatment centres provide both residential treatment and outpatient facilities.
PLEASE FIND ENCLOSED MY DONATION OF £ I enclose a cheque / postal order / CAF voucher made payable to Combat Stress. OR please debit my: credit / debit / CAF card (delete as appropriate)
CARD NO:
We wish RH all the best and know that should he need us, he will be able to turn to us again.
EXPIRY DATE: (mm/yy)
START DATE: (mm/yy)
SECURITY CODE: (last 3 digits of the number on the signature strip) ISSUE NO:
SIGNATURE:
The helpline can be reached on
0800 138 1619
CARDHOLDER’S NAME: Please tick this box if you would like to receive a thank you letter.
SPNL14
GIFT AID DECLARATION Please tick this box if you are not a UK Tax Payer Please treat as Gift Aid donations all qualifying gifts of money made TODAY
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Please tick all boxes you wish to apply.
The Combat Stress 24-hour Helpline is for the military community and their families. It can advise on various issues from mental health to practical support. You can also text 07537 404 719 (standard charges apply for texts) or email combatstress@rethink.org
I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities or Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understand the charity will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I give on or after 01 April 2009. Please notify the charity or CASC if you: Want to cancel this declaration Change your name or home address No longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains. If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self Assessment tax return or ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code. You may also make the declaration by telephone, by fax or by email to the numbers below, in which case confirmation of the arrangement will be sent to you. The declaration will be held on file by the Charity for its own fundraising purposes only. Combat Stress, Tyrwhitt House, Oaklawn Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0BX Registered Charity Number (England & Wales) 206002 (Scotland) SC038828 Company limited by guarantee: Registration Number 256353
Save your stamps
Recycle and raise funds for Combat Stress We are working with The Recycling Factory to raise funds through the recycling of unwanted ink and toner cartridges, mobile phones and electronic gadgets (MP3 players, sat navs, digital cameras and electronic game consoles). How does it work? Combat Stress receives up to £3.50 for every recyclable inkjet and toner cartridge and up to
£30 for every mobile phone and electronic gadget that can be successfully recycled. Joining the scheme couldn’t be easier, and it won’t cost you a penny. All materials including freepost recycling envelopes and collection boxes are completely free of charge (and a free collection will also be arranged once your box is full). If you would like to become involved
with the scheme and would like a supply of freepost envelopes, collection boxes or have any questions, please contact The Recycling Factory on (freephone) 0800 091 0696 or visit The Recycling Factory at www. therecyclingfactory. com/combatstress
if you would like to raise funds for Combat Stress, a simple way to do so is by saving your stamps. Fundraising Stamps is a company based in Surrey. Collect stamps off any mail that you receive and send to Fundraising Stamps, and for every kilo you send, £10 will be paid to a charity of your choice. Send the stamps to the address below – which includes the name of your charity. Don’t send the stamps to the usual Combat Stress address. For more details of what stamps can be sent, and what condition they must be in, go to: www.fundraisingstamps.com Send only to: ‘Combat Stress’, 35 Wrecclesham Road, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8TY
We are sincerely grateful to all our supporters, including the following:
If you would like to support Combat Stress call us on 01372 587 140 or email support@combatstress.org.uk