Combat Stress News - Autumn 2012

They fight our wars. We fight their battles.

NEWS

WWW.COMBATSTRESS.ORG.UK | NEWSLETTER OF THE EX-SERVICES MENTAL WELFARE SOCIETY | AUTUMN 2012

ANNIVERSARY

Falklands remembered Raising awareness 30 years on TREATMENT

SIX WEEKS OF SUPPORT Our programme for Veterans FUNDRAISING

Thank you How you have supported us

A safe haven GARDEN DESIGNED FOR VETERANS

Cover photo by Stephen Clark Registered Charity Number: 206002.

Charity Number Scotland: SC 038828.

Company limited by guarantee: Registration Number 256353

The brief

Intelligence

News/Campaigns/stats

by Chief Executive Andrew Cameron

Joining forces for the future Combat Stress is undergoing a once-in-a-lifetime upgrade, to meet the increasing need to provide the best support and treatment for ex-Service personnel with wounded minds. This is being funded by our

The Flannels for Heroes 20:20 tournament

successful The Enemy Within Appeal, grants from major military charities, companies, trusts, private individuals and the Government. We are, for the first time, creating an integrated mental health and welfare service for Veterans – which connects Combat Stress, other charities, the NHS and the MoD as never before.

We want to enable Veterans with mental ill-health to build a life beyond illness for them and their families.

To replace despair with hope, so ex-Service men and women can regain a sense of control and pursue their ambitions. To do this, we are changing the way we work with Veterans, from simply managing and reducing their symptoms to working with them to help them rebuild their lives. It’s an ambitious aim, but we are creating, with our partners, the conditions in which Veterans can be supported throughout their recovery journey.

We are currently treating more than 5,000 Veterans and have seen a rise in young men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan seeking help. We are doing a great deal – some of which we talk about in this newsletter – to ensure that we can support this growing number of Veterans: the Six-Week PTSD Treatment Programme, commissioned by the NHS in England is now one year old (see page 6); our work with the Department of Health (see page 7) including the Combat Stress 24-hour Helpline, which they fund; and our use of other Service charities' residential facilities to provide specialist support to Veterans who do not need to come to a Combat Stress Treatment Centre, but still need our specialist mental health support (page 9).

In addition, we need to reach out to as many people

Batting for Combat Stress This summer we were lucky enough to have benefited from two major cricket events: the Flannels for Heroes 20:20 cricket tournament at Burton Court, Chelsea, and the Inter Services Cricket at Lord’s.

As well as ticket sales from Flannels for Heroes, Kevin Pietersen raised funds through signing cricket shirts and Col Cliff Dare and Private Jaco van Gass added to this by auctioning off their Royal Marine and Parachute Regiment berets.

We would like to acknowledge the hard work and support of Tim Brocklehurst, Mowbray Jackson and Eliza Cockerell, co-Founders of Flannels for Heroes, for raising £25,000 for three Service Charities.

The annual Inter Services T20 Cricket event was held at Lord’s and organised by the Inter Services Cricket Association (ISCA) who

generously nominated Combat Stress to be the sole beneficiary.

The day presented a brilliant opportunity for hospitality, entertainment and goodwill, including a fine display by the RAF team who played superbly and were ultimately triumphant.

Thanks must go to Colin Maynard, Deputy Secretary at Lord’s, for letting us collect within the grounds, and especially to Graham Robinson and Peter Sharland of the ISCA for their amazing hard work and kind support. This was shown throughout the planning stages, at the pre-match reception, and on the day itself. We were bowled over!

Combat Stress remains amazed at how generous supporters continue to be. A big thank you to everyone involved.

who may need our help as we can. So in the spring, we marked the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War with a big awareness and fundraising campaign. Read what we did and how successful it was on page 10.

I hope you enjoy this edition of Combat Stress News and that you will support us on the journey of a lifetime.

With your help we can rebuild the lives of so many brave and deserving ex-Service men and women.

Thank you.

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BFBS news available in the UK! British Forces Broadcasting Service’s flagship TV news programme, British Forces News, is now available to watch in the UK. It is broadcast every weeknight at 18.30 UK time on Information TV, via Sky Channel 231 and Freesat Channel 402.

www.combatstress.org.uk

Intelligence

Watch rugby and raise cash On Saturday 15 September 2012, Saracens will play Leicester Tigers at Wembley. For every ticket bought (£16 for adults, £6 for under16s) using the promotional code COMBATSTRESS, £5 of the adult ticket or £2 of the children’s ticket will come directly to us. This match will feature a whole host of England players and is set to be a fantastic day while raising money for Combat Stress!

Join our Facebook community

Veterans’ art goes on show

To share your views and read the latest news, become our friend on Facebook by ‘liking’ our page.

Whether you’re a Veteran, family member or support the work we do, we’d love to see you there. www.facebook.com/combatstress

From 29 October to 26 November 2012, Combat Stress will be exhibiting Veterans’ artwork at Guildford Cathedral.

Called ‘Shards of Hope: caught in the conflict between peace and war’, the exhibition will provide the public with a glimpse into the experience of being a Veteran with a psychological injury.

Veterans chose the title of the exhibition as they felt it captured how intrusive memories of trauma, such as nightmares and flashbacks, can keep the Veterans captive in past conflict but how hope is the driving force towards finding peace of mind.

The exhibition is free and open to all. For more information call Jan Lobban on 01372 587 021 or visit www.guildford-cathedral.org

New website coming soon In mid-September we will be launching our new website www.combatstress.org.uk.

We hope this is easier to use as well as offering more information about Combat Stress and the work that we do.

The exhibition will display Veterans' artwork

Fête boosts funds This year’s Hollybush Fête was opened by Scottish comedian Fred MacAulay, with entertainment from Dalmellington Junior Brass Band and local singing sensation Nicola Cassells.

Stand-out attractions included the Queen’s Regimental Pony (left) and the South Ayrshire Fire Engine. The fête was a resounding success, raising £3,839! Thank you to all staff and volunteers who made it such a fantastic day. www.combatstress.org.uk

Staff update: Uta Hope and Victoria Reynolds We are pleased to announce the appointment of Uta Hope as the new Director of Fundraising & Communications at Combat Stress. Uta joins us from the Royal Hospital for Neurodisability, where she held the post of Director of Fundraising.

We also welcome Victoria Reynolds as the new Director of Finance, Information Management & Governance. Victoria has a strong background in charity finance; some of her recent appointments include Director of Finance at The Carers Trust and Childline.

autumn 2012 | COMBAT STRESS news 3

Fundraising

Thank you!

£75

pays for an hour’s consultation with a psychiatrist

£450

Rain featured strongly in a lot of our volunteers’ activities this year.

It made things tough but did not dampen their spirits! Many have endured extreme tests whilst others hosted parties and concerts.

But however they raised funds, to each and every volunteer we say thank you. Here are some of their stories…

On their way Pyrenees pioneer Veteran Gary Halewood has embarked on seven weeks of hard walking from the French Pyrenees to Spain.

To sponsor Gary please send cheques to Fundraising at Tyrwhitt House, referencing Gary Pyrenees walk (address on page 15).

Coastal Path walk

Ski Cornwall

In April and May Veteran William Harvey embarked on his own ‘Walking the Cornish Coastal Path’ challenge, trekking unaided along the coastline of Cornwall. His route from Bude to Ramehead, Plymouth, was a whopping 280 miles and raised an equally grand £865.

William Harvey walked the Cornish Coastal Path

Race America Team Cycling4Comrades are participating in The Race Across America, 3,000 miles of cycling involving 170,000 feet of climbing, and crossing 12 states. For information about Team C4C’s challenge, and how to donate, go to: www.cycling4comrades.co.uk Minute man On Remembrance Day 2012, Veteran Tony Gardner will start ‘A Minute for the Fallen’, cycling and running one minute for every Service man and woman lost in Afghanistan (currently more than 400). Please visit his Virgin Money Giving page to support: www. uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ AMinuteForTheFallen Feet of endurance Caroline Copland is going to embark on a gruelling walk from the Cenotaph in London to the Menin Gate in Belgium.

‘The feet to remember’ route is a whopping 125 miles in total. Please support her on her fundraising journey at www.justgiving.com/ feettoremember

pays for a day’s Outpatient assessment, diagnosis and clinical sessions at one of our Treatment Centres

Early July saw the ‘Ski Cornwall’ team take on the incredible challenge of waterskiing non-stop around the coast of Cornwall, an idea dreamed up by Mark Hodson and Rupert Barrington.

The team of four skiers (Mark, Chris Wild, Dominic Barrington and Edward Fane Trefusis), ably assisted by Rupert and his logistics team, battled the elements and near-impossible conditions to complete the 120-mile journey from Padstow to St Mawes – raising an exceptional total of over £10,000.

Apache Approach On a very wet Saturday in April, in the grounds of Framlingham College, the UK Helicopter Attack Force based at Wattisham held a Fun Day. The day included a display team, distinguished speakers, raffles, food and much more. A special thank you to Peter Rogerson for helping to organise the event and to our own supporter, Mrs Georgina Natzio, for collecting a cheque for more than £3,000.

Cycle Hebrides In May, the Cycle Hebrides team, made up of Stephen Newman, Andrew Macleman, Bob Corbett and Richard Ferguson, cycled the entire length of the Hebrides. The route took them from Vatersay to the Port of Ness at the tip of Lewis, a road distance of 165 miles, raising a tremendous total of over £5,000.

Liverpool students on their 127-mile canalside triathlon

LUAS triathalon Mount Keen Challenge To mark the 30th Anniversary of the end of the Falklands Conflict, Jamie Deans and Mark Ansell created the gruelling ‘Mount Keen Challenge’. This took them on a 12-mile evening run along the River Dee, immediately followed by a 24-mile overnight hike up Mount Keen, raising a terrific £1,573 in the process.

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On Saturday 30 June, the Liverpool University Air Squadron embarked on a triathlon-style event which involved biking, running, and canoeing the length of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal (127 miles). They completed this challenge in under 24 hours which is an amazing achievement! So far, the squadron has raised a fantastic £4,404 for Combat Stress.

www.combatstress.org.uk

Fundraising

Photo: Evan Smith Photography

Blackout Blitz Bash December saw Telford host a Blackout Blitz Party organised by Kerry Turner. The 1940s and 50s themed event was filled with music, dancing and other entertainment from the era, and raised a fantastic £2,085.

Benefit Night Old-style fundraising at the Blackout Blitz Party in Telford

Royal Wootton Bassett Walk Alan Cottrell and John Tarry participated in a walk from Royal Wootton Bassett to the Royal Marines base in Devon. Accompanied by support vehicles and camping along the way, they set off on their 200-mile walk, and have raised £1,842.

Thank you to all of you for your hard work and fundraising.

Downpour drinks

In May, Tonia Cleaver organised a Benefit Night in memory of Glenn Ormiston at the “Staddy” in Plymouth. A wonderful total of £2,000 was raised from the event, which included Glenn’s nephews Dan and Ryan Ball having their legs waxed and Phoebe, his niece, undertaking a sponsored silence.

Stoke 6 Towns Challenge Combat Stress staff, their family and friends walked the Stoke Six Towns Challenge through torrential July rain. At the end of their trip, the walkers were greeted by Jack the Combat Stress dog, Karen and Lottie Williams (who had made iced cakes especially).

In May, Mrs Helen Usher held a special drinks party at her home in Ancrum, Roxburghshire, on one of the wettest nights of the year. Despite the downpours, the party was a resounding success and raised an invaluable £5,100.

Jack was there to greet walkers…

You’ve been fantastic!

Combat Stress would like to give special thanks to these people for their support: Gary Carter and Lance Flower for the Burns’ Night Celebration proceeds totalling £2,460.

Kate Weighell and her husband Oli who bravely swam across Lake Coniston at the end of May (brrr!), raising £2,468.

Geoffrey Stanford, who raised £1,600 paddling the incredible endurance canoe race from Devizes to Westminster.

Michael Chappell for organising the Brecon Cathedral Concert and raising £1,848.

David Rowley who took part in the 102-mile Cheshire Cat Bike Ride in March, raising £696.

Raby Castle Garden Party A special thanks to Simon Elliot who organised a Summer Party in the walled gardens and beautiful grounds of Raby Castle, Durham. Even though the weather was predictably British, a splendid total of £3,595 was donated.

Smiles on the Cheshire Cat Bike Ride

Military Fancy Dress Party Boscombe’s Gita and Katrina Gould held a Military Fancy Dress Party to fundraise for Combat Stress before Katrina’s boyfriend, Luke Williamson, headed off to Afghanistan. The event was a great success in spite of an untimely snow storm, raising £800 for the charity.

Marathon effort In April, 20 amazing London Marathon runners (including a Combat Stress French maid!) raised a fantastic £17,910. In May four individuals and a relay team of four repeated the distance in the Edinburgh Marathon, raising a fantastic £7,275. More than 90 runners competed over a distance of 10km, six in the Great Manchester Run in May and 85 in June’s British 10K London Run. A big thank you to all of our runners

Chris Scard and a team of five others who took part in the Osmotherly Phoenix Run and raised £1,720.

Charlotte England who donated £672 after trekking

… while Lottie Williams baked Combat Stress cupcakes!

for their wonderful athletic and fundraising efforts so far this year!

Mayoral Support Mayor of Guildford, Charity of the Year 2010/11 Cllr Marsha Moseley nominated Combat Stress and gave us the most tremendous support throughout her Mayoral year. By holding various events including a Chinese Night, a Halloween Fancy Dress Hoot and a grand finale Charity Ball, she raised a total

the Great Wall of China.

of £21,783. Thanks also to Kate Foxton at Guildford Council for all her help.

In addition, our warmest appreciation goes to Cllr David Norman, Mayor of Southend, who presented us with a cheque for the substantial sum of £8,340 and also to North Ayrshire Council for the splendid gift of £10,487.

Clubs and Lodges We have received tremendous support from many Clubs and

Lodges in 2012. Below are just a few who have given so generously to us: • Unitarian Women’s League, Bristol: £8,000 • Lions Club of Leatherhead: £4,500 • Newark Rugby Union Club: £5,064 • Province of Surrey: £1,750 donated by five Surrey Lodges.

• Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, Ouse Lodge: 7139, Norfolk: £1,050 • Newport Rotary Club: £1,517 • Rotary Club of St Columb: £2,020

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. Turn to page 11 for more inspiring fundraising stories.

www.combatstress.org.uk

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Intensive Treatment

Changing lives in six weeks Our Director of Medical Services, Dr Walter Busuttil (right), on how our intensive Six-Week PTSD Treatment Programme is helping Veterans at their lowest ebb

Our Six-Week PTSD Treatment Programme is designed to treat Veterans suffering from severe forms of PTSD and another condition or conditions, such as depression, alcohol and illicit drug misuse.

Veterans will need initial stabilisation by clinicians before they can be admitted to the programme, ensuring that their depression and substance misuse are under control.

The programme, which is a year old, is run by two full-time equivalent psychologists/cognitive behavioural therapy-trained mental nurse therapists; supported by consultant psychiatrists, registered mental health nurses, occupational therapists, psychotherapists and other multidisciplinary treatment centre staff — ensuring that the Veterans on the programme are appropriately supervised.

Up to eight Veterans participate in each group. The work day is full and we expect the Veterans to participate in the whole of the programme which runs between 9am and 5pm during the week, with “homework” tasks and some therapy in the form of

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practical work being done at weekends.

Two half days for family/carer involvement are also scheduled. The Veterans on the programme have a workbook that they work through during the programme.

Occupational therapy Veterans can use all facilities in the treatment centre including the activity centre and gym. We also have an Occupational Therapy-led Wellbeing Programme to help Veterans with the “homework” tasks set by the main SixWeek PTSD Treatment Programme, as well as keeping them engaged in activities and situations that they need to confront.

Australian Veterans Our programme has three main therapeutic mechanisms: group psycho-education, group skills training and individual trauma-focused therapy. It is based on the Australian Veterans’ rehabilitation programmes, which have been in place for many years. There is a large evidence base of over 4,000 Australian Veterans (who were suffering from chronic PTSD

and other conditions including substance misuse and depression with social and relationship complications) benefitting from such programmes. The Australian treatment outcomes are: one third of Veterans on the programmes will do well and need little support at one year followup; one third get better but need some help; one third don’t do so well but need less help than they did at the outset.

Treatment outcomes so far are promising for Veterans treated at Combat Stress.

One third of Veterans on the programmes will do well and need little help at the one year follow-up

www.combatstress.org.uk

Raising Awareness

Joining forces with the NHS Combat Stress is forging strong links with medical professionals, raising awareness of how we can support Veterans seeking help Quite a few new patient referrals to Combat Stress come from medical professionals, so it’s really important that we can raise and maintain awareness of Combat Stress as the expert partner for Veterans’ mental health and to promote all the services we can offer.

We have built a strong relationship with the NHS to ensure our services are fully integrated to deliver the best possible treatment and support across England.

Dave Rutter (below), Head of the Military and Veterans’ Health Policy Team at the Department of Health, tells us about the relationship between Combat Stress and the Department of Health.

“On release of Murrison’s report (see panel, bottom right), we put initiatives in place quickly, and were able to move ahead swiftly with Combat Stress on the 24-hour Helpline. It was a slowish start but we had to raise awareness of the service and get the NHS working closely with Combat Stress. That activity creates wider awareness of the Helpline. It’s worked really well.

“One of the criticisms we hear is that GPs aren’t aware of Veterans’ issues and, as the ‘gatekeepers’, the challenge is to raise awareness

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among them. We worked with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), Combat Stress and The Royal British Legion (TRBL) to create an e-learning package on Veterans’ healthcare.

This e-learning course, ‘Veterans’ Health in General Practice’, identifies the psychological and physical issues that are commonly faced

by Veterans and their families and outlines the useful resources that can help GPs improve their care. It is available on the RCGP Online Learning Environment: www.elearning.rcgp.org.uk. Almost 700 GPs have so far accessed the package, with 21,000 hits and really positive feedback.

Partnering for success “A couple of years ago we set up the Armed Forces Health Network based on the old Strategic Health Authorities. This network works locally with Combat Stress (Community Outreach Teams and the TA and Reserve Forces Liaison Team), other third sector organisations, the MoD, and the local NHS. They can troubleshoot problems and bring issues to the table.

Those are good examples of how to prevent somebody from falling through the cracks.

“What we now need to do is take the best of what’s happening in each area so that the services can develop nationwide. When we have got a business plan that shows what things have worked over the last three to four years, we can then suggest to the Government that this plan is followed and present the price tag that goes with it. The more we can get those things ingrained in NHS thinking, the more we can get the NHS thinking about how to work with third sector partners.

“The strategic partner relationship we have had with the RBL and Combat Stress

One of the criticisms we hear is that GPs aren’t aware of Veterans’ issues

has really been successful. In building that relationship it has been about trust and transparency, and having the confidence and freedom to disagree with one another.

The outcome of what we want to achieve is generally the same but in dealing with Combat Stress, the RBL, SSAFA Forces Help and Help for Heroes we need to pick the common themes and build on those.”

‘Fighting Fit’ During 2010, Dr Andrew Murrison MP was asked by the Prime Minister to undertake an independent study into the mental health of Serving and ex-Service personnel to see what more could be done to assess and meet their needs. The result was the ‘Fighting Fit’ report which identified areas of mental health provision for Veterans and recognised Combat Stress as a leading provider of care to Veterans with mental health conditions.

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Rehabilitation

A safe haven The new garden at Tyrwhitt House had to be created with the special considerations of Veterans in mind

T

he magnificent trees and wide expanses of open space around Tyrwhitt House Treatment Centre in Surrey are a lovely setting, but the Veterans’ bedrooms looked out only on a bare courtyard, and we wanted to provide a space that they could enjoy all the time.

In 2010 garden designer Fi Boyle and Dorinda Wolfe Murray (of Independent Gardening) created a therapeutic garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show for Combat Stress. This wonderful garden was awarded a Silver Medal and became the foundation for our new garden.

The space was designed according to rules that most of us never have to consider. A bench is somewhere to sit with a good view, but not if you are a traumatised Veteran: for them it’s a lookout post that must be positioned so the enemy can’t creep up on them. A touch of red is a good way to lift a border, but not when it is a colour that stirs up terrible memories for people who have seen too much blood.

These and other complex yet sensitive considerations lie behind the Combat Stress garden transferred to Tyrwhitt House.

The transformation at Tyrwhitt House, from a bare courtyard to peaceful therapeutic garden

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Drawn from experience This was a personal project because both Fi’s husband and Dorinda’s ex-husband

have experienced Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

“PTSD is not just about flashbacks,” Dorinda says. “It is about sensitivity to smell, light, noise and movement.

Anything can trigger extreme fear, from an unexpected firework to a helicopter flying overhead.”

Fi explains: “The garden has been designed to give those using the space ‘clear sight lines’. This has been achieved using high pruned multi-stem trees with low under planting.”

Benches are high-backed, set against walls and cantilevered so there are no legs to hide improvised explosive devices.

Completed garden Veterans now have an area in which to reflect following challenging therapy sessions and also a garden that both inspires and supports our art and occupational therapy, as well as our treatment programmes.

Our sincere gratitude goes to the designers, project manager, gardeners and funders for this area, which will inspire and support our treatments for many years to come.

The article draws on a feature

by Cassandra Jardine from The Daily Telegraph. Cassandra was a close friend of Combat Stress and we were saddened to hear of her passing in May.

WWW.COMBATSTRESS.ORG.UK

Supporting Veterans

Expanding vital care for Veterans A groundbreaking new scheme is providing much-needed support for many Veterans and their families

W

hen a Veteran comes to Combat Stress, we first assess their mental health and welfare needs. Once we have assessed them and diagnosed their condition, we then work with them to devise a treatment and support package. When the Veteran is making good progress we then look to support them back into society (we call these the ‘rehabilitation’ and ‘reintegration’ phases). All these stages are vital in a Veteran’s recovery.

At the moment, we do a lot of this work in our three Treatment Centres, but as the number of Veterans coming to us for help is rising, we have started looking at offering these latter two phases of our work at other locations – so we can ensure that when a Veteran is first referred to us, they can quickly come to a Treatment Centre to get the assessment and diagnosis they desperately need.

So, working with The Royal British Legion (TRBL) and the RAF Benevolent Fund (RAFBF), we set up a pilot scheme at four residential facilities: three run by TRBL and one by RAFBF. In the pilot, we invited Combat Stress Veterans to stay for one week, where we worked closely with them to focus on their rehabilitation and reintegration. We also invited Veterans’ partners to the centre.

As Garrett Taylor, our Director of Operations, explains: “Each of the four sites offered a therapeutic timetable which included a combination of treatment sessions, activities and outings. Treatment sessions included Mindfulness, Improving Social Skills, Sleep Hygiene and Effective Coping Mechanisms in either a one-

www.combatstress.org.uk

Following treatment, Veterans showed an improvement in their mental health

to-one or group session. To promote social reintegration a variety of outings were organised, including trips to local museums and places of interest, as well as the local towns.

“Each treatment session was available to every Veteran, but as the treatment emphasis was on rehabilitation and reintegration, the Veterans were given the responsibility to decide what treatment interventions they wished to engage in, thus helping to promote independence and a self-help ethos. On average, 72% of Veterans attending the residential facilities showed an improvement in their mental health condition.”

One Veteran commented that: “After years of treatment, this stay has helped

me the most. I went out by myself – not much, but to me it was a great event.

I must say, I feel well. For the first time in years I do not feel worthless.”

And one Veteran’s wife told us: “I have my husband back after 20 years.

I would never have believed it without seeing it first hand. He is a different man and, with your staff’s support, he has the confidence and self-esteem to overcome his difficulties and lead a fuller and happier life.”

We carefully surveyed all the Veterans who were involved with the scheme and we are delighted that so many have benefitted from their stay. We plan to continue the pilot and refine it to ensure it continues to be successful.

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Anniversary

The Falklands War remembered It’s now 30 years since the conflict. Combat Stress marked the anniversary with a campaign to raise awareness of our work to help Veterans

Above: One of the posters from our campaign to mark the Falklands’ anniversary

A

s many of you will remember, 13 June this year saw the 30th anniversary of the end of the Falklands War. From late 2011 onwards, we spent a number of months planning how to mark this occasion, to raise awareness of our work and encourage more Veterans to seek help from us. From previous conflict anniversaries we know that it can be a very difficult time for Veterans, especially those mentally scarred by their experiences, so we had to be sensitive in our approach.

Our Falklands campaign had two aims: to raise awareness of our work to encourage

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Left: The legacy of the Falklands lives on for many Veterans of the conflict

more Veterans to seek help from us, and to encourage donations to fund our services from our supporters and the public. The campaign included a number of different elements: To get media coverage of our work, we needed to have Veterans who were willing to speak to the media. We were fortunate to have some brave Falklands Veterans who were prepared to be interviewed about their experiences and the massive difference that Combat Stress has made to their lives – including “Bones” who was interviewed by the Sun newspaper, and “Brian” by the BBC. We spoke to newspapers, TV and radio stations around the UK about the 30th anniversary, to encourage them to write about

it and to interview one of our Veterans.

We advertised in newspapers and magazines read by Veterans and their families, with the story of Darren, one of our Falklands Veterans, and the message that it was OK to seek help for mental health problems. We also advertised in media read by people with an interest in mental health and likely to support Combat Stress, to ask for donations – again the adverts had a Falklands theme.

We sent a Falklands fundraising postal mailing to our generous supporters and to a carefully selected group of people who do not currently support us, but who we hoped would be moved by our work to make a donation.

We created a Falklands section on our website (www.combatstress.org.uk) with more information about the conflict and how we support Falklands Veterans.

As a result of this work we received a lot of media coverage. We gained 134 print and online articles across the UK with a value equivalent to over £1 million-worth of advertising, and some excellent coverage on BBC TV and online, and on the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS). We also, thanks to our supporters, raised over £140,000 during this time (see page 11 for more details). We also saw a rise in the number of Veterans from the Falklands War coming to us for help while the campaign was running.

Our sincere thanks go to all the Veterans that supported this campaign, to Comic Relief for the funding of this project, and to all our supporters who generously donated.

FALKLANDS VETERANS: HOW WE ARE HELPING Combat Stress has helped more than 400 Falklands Veterans come to terms with their mental health problems. These Veterans have received the equivalent of over 22,180 days of treatment at a cost of over £6.5 million. (This figure does not include the cost of treatment carried out by our 14 Community Outreach Teams across the UK.)

WWW.COMBATSTRESS.ORG.UK

The Enemy Within Appeal

APPEAL INSPIRES FUNDRAISING SUCCESS

Reflecting on our Appeal We are entering the final six months of our highly successful The Enemy Within Appeal, which has helped raise awareness of the plight of Veterans and secured vital funds to allow a step improvement in our service delivery

TARGET

£30m

£20m

£10m

WWW.COMBATSTRESS.ORG.UK

T

he charity’s biggest fundraising and awareness campaign continues in earnest, to ensure that Combat Stress is there to provide Veterans with wounded minds the right help, in the right place and at the right time.

As one of the charity projects for Sport Relief and with the Falklands’ 30th Anniversary recently taking place, we have had a constant presence in the public eye over the past six months. This has resulted in hundreds of new Veterans turning to us for support. We are grateful to all those who shared their experiences to help us raise awareness of the plight of Veterans with wounded minds. In particular, Falklands Veteran Darren Horsnell, who shared his experiences of living with PTSD in our spring mailings which moved over 2,500 people (of which 270 are new supporters of Combat Stress) to donate a total of £142,846.

As we enter the final six months of The Enemy Within Appeal, we will turn our focus towards our inpatient services. We plan to roll out our Six-Week PTSD Treatment Programme (see page 6) to each of our three Treatment Centres and provide outpatient assessments and clinical sessions. With this, there will be a need for some re-development at each of the Treatment Centres.

There is still much to do but, with your loyal support, we will get there.

Private Security Firms Leaders of private security firms came together at the Inter Services T20 Cricket – hosted by the Executive Chairman of Salamanca Risk Management, Ed Butler – and discussed what more they can do to support the mental well-being of Veterans they employ.

Belvoir Castle charity shoot The Duke and Duchess of Rutland welcomed over 100 guns to their charity clay shoot at Belvoir Castle, on 3 May. Among the guests facing the 26,000 clay day were former sportsmen Scott Quinnell, Brian Williams and Darren Bicknell. The shoot raised £19,378. Her Grace said, “We are delighted to have the Belvoir Castle Charity Shoot.” Combat Stress are proud to have been selected to be a beneficiary of this event.

Afghanistan lecture and Dorset golf day The Dorset Committee, chaired by Diana Bucknall, continues to promote the work of Combat Stress and raise vital funds. In May, over 300 people embraced the arrival of summer with a reception on the lawn of Clayesmore School. This was followed by a captivating lecture, ‘Afghanistan – the Military Campaign. What are the prospects for success?’, by Lt Gen James Bucknall CBE and Robert Fox MBE. Guests then attended local dinner parties hosted by the committee. The evening was a huge success, raising £20,677. In July, the committee also organised a charity golf day at Rushmore Golf Club in Tollard Royal.

This was fully funded by the Club’s owner and president, William Gronow Davis, and raised £18,400 for Combat Stress.

PTSD on the stage Don’t miss Sandi Toksvig’s play Bully Boy starring Anthony Andrews. This powerful piece of drama about the minds of soldiers will be the inaugural production at the new St James Theatre in Victoria between 18 September and 27 October. Combat Stress will be taking part in a Q&A after the performance on World Mental Health Day, 10 October. The theatre has a special offer for all Combat Stress supporters – see the enclosed flier for details.

AUTUMN 2012 | COMBAT STRESS NEWS 11

Supporting Veterans

From left: activities include willow weaving, gardening and cooking

Helping the whole person A diverse range of group activities are giving Veterans the opportunity to relax, engage with others and develop new skills — a valuable support for anyone struggling with isolation Across our Treatment Centres we have adopted a ‘whole person’ approach to treatment and therapy. With help from our supporters we have been able to expand our Well-being and Rehabilitation Programme across each centre, providing vital treatment and support.

Veterans have been participating in new group activities both on and off-site; focused on creativity, skill development and peer support.

Fishing, a contemporary willow-weaving workshop, gardening, cooking, local

“Workshops help alleviate stress, give a skill ‘to take home’ and a sense of camaraderie and belonging ” 12 COMBAT STRESS NEWS | AUTUMN 2012

trips to shops and services, and glass-blowing are just a few of the recent examples.

These groups aim to: increase selfmotivation to engage in personally valued activities; provide opportunities for relaxation and enjoyment; develop and restore new interests; give access to community resources and gain positive feedback from this; and increase feelings of personal competence and accomplishment.

They can also offer Veterans new skills, new activities and healthy alternatives to help with the symptoms of their mental ill health. Camaraderie, a sense of belonging and socialisation are invaluable benefits for many Veterans who struggle to interact with others or even leave the house.

Veterans said that workshops “helped de-stress” and provided a “skill to take home”.

Thank you to all our funders for support that made these activities possible.

FISHING FOR VETERANS The therapeutic benefits of fishing are well established, so we are very pleased to offer fishing as a new part of our Well-being and Rehabilitation Programme at Tyrwhitt House.

This has been made possible through fishing equipment funded by the Wates Family Enterprise Trust and support from Fishability UK – thank you!

THANK YOU, COMIC RELIEF We are most grateful to Comic Relief for their continued generosity and, in particular, for highlighting our work as part of Sport Relief 2012. More than a million people took part in Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Miles. All that support meant we achieved fantastic coverage across TV, radio and press during their appeal, considerably raising awareness of the plight of Veterans suffering from mental ill-health. Many thanks!

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Meet the team

Jason is on call to support Veterans contacting the Helpline

Five things I’ve learnt Our Helpline is on hand 24 hours a day for Veterans, Serving personnel and their loved ones. Here, Jason Parker, Mental Health Recovery Worker on the Helpline, describes what his role has taught him

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Talking helps! It’s easy to forget how helpful talking can actually be

From my experience of talking with Veterans, the Armed Forces often instils a culture of silence and many feel they cannot talk about these issues with their family and friends.

Through the Helpline people are now realising the beneficial power of talking; often talking on the Helpline is the first step in seeking help. The feedback we’ve received has been overwhelmingly positive, having created this space to talk.

2

Service-related issues don’t just affect the Veteran

Friends and family of Veterans form the second largest group of those who contact us (Army Veterans being the first). Quite often they’re very upset and stressed, trying to hold things together for a loved one who is struggling with mental health issues.

The Helpline is able to fill a gap in care by providing the space for family

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and friends to off-load and gain reassurance, and signpost them to appropriate help. For many this makes a huge difference in being able to carry on supporting their loved one.

professionals wondering how to help Veterans under their care. It’s great that the Helpline can play a role in increasing awareness of available support for Veterans among other professionals.

3

5

Working on the Helpline has really hammered this home. Most of the Veterans I speak to have been involved in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Bosnia and the first Gulf War. These events have now been long overshadowed, but their devastating effects live on and should not be forgotten.

I also think it is important to realise that it is never too late to seek help.

Feeling understood is important. I hear a lot of comments from Veterans that their GP or others involved in their care don’t understand. After they call us, they say that they are less alone and that they’ve not been judged or dismissed. This is one of the strengths of the Helpline and it can help get someone through a difficult period. Those who have attended support groups or use the Helpline often tell us that they found it helpful because they felt understood.

I have been told that it takes several years for a Veteran to seek help after leaving the Armed Forces

4

At the Helpline, we’re striving to improve awareness in health care professionals We get quite a number of calls from doctors, therapists, police, paramedics and other

Listening carefully leaves a person feeling that someone can see their point of view

The Helpline can be reached on 0800 138 1619, by text on 07537 404 719 (standard charges may apply for texts), or by emailing combat.stress@rethink.org

autumn 2012 | COMBAT STRESS news 13

Fundraising

A gift with the power to heal By leaving Combat Stress a gift in your Will you can help Veterans rebuild their future Many Veterans suffer from mental heath conditions as a result of the things they experienced while serving their country.

This can have a massive impact on their lives. Without appropriate expert treatment, the mental scars from what they have seen or experienced can To find gradually destroy their lives. out more about There are too many stories leaving a gift to Combat of families torn apart, Veterans Stress in your will, turning to alcohol or drugs to please visit our website: numb the pain inside, or even www.combatstress.org.uk taking their own lives. However, or call we have seen how the right 01372 581 150 treatment can give Veterans back the drive and self-belief to conquer their mental ill-health and rebuild their and women. After your lives. That’s what we do. friends and family, please Every gift you give to Combat Stress is consider leaving a gift in your Will vital to Veterans and their families. to Combat Stress.

It means we can keep our work going – helping those who need us most – and plan Please let us know your intentions a better future for all UK ex-Service men We understand that your Will is private, but if you do decide to leave a gift to us in your Will, please do let us know, as it helps us plan our long-term work. We’ll treat the information that you give us as strictly confidential.

“The right treatment can give Veterans back the drive and self belief to conquer their mental ill-health”

To request a Combat Stress legacy leaflet please contact us by phone on 01372 581 150 or email sue.eddington@ combatstress.org.uk

WAYS YOU CAN LEAVE A LEGACY

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A residuary legacy is a gift of all or a percentage of what’s left of your estate after all other payments have been made. It’s a good way of dividing an estate between the people and causes that are important to you. It can also be more beneficial to charities, as inflation won’t lower its value.

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A pecuniary legacy is a gift of a sum of money of your choosing. You can add a pecuniary legacy to your existing Will using a simple Codicil document. It’s worth bearing in mind that this type of gift will decrease in value over time as the cost of living increases.

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You can also leave a specific gift. This could be anything from a piece of jewellery or property to shares. If you’d like to give in this way, please contact us so we can discuss your intentions.

14 COMBAT STRESS NEWS | AUTUMN 2012

‘IT IS OUR DUTY TO HELP THESE MEN AND WOMEN’ Eight years ago Maria Pedro pledged to leave a legacy gift to Combat Stress in her Will.

“In 1999, my partner Philip and I decided that we couldn’t enter the next century without paying tribute to those who had made the ultimate sacrifice for this country,” says Maria. “So on a very bleak day in December that year, we went to the Somme to pay our respects to the British Armed Forces.

“It proved to be an almost life-changing experience for us – our admiration for British Service men and women knew no bounds after that.

“After we returned to the UK, I read about the plight of Veterans whose mental health has been ruined by their military service. They struggle to readjust to civilian life and often depend upon charities such as Combat Stress.

“I believe it is our duty to help these men and women once they have left the Armed Forces. I may not be able to help them directly but I can donate to Combat Stress so that the charity can continue to provide its vital services to Veterans.

“Through my Will, I can continue to pay tribute to the Armed Forces who made and make it possible for me to live my life in safety.”

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Your Gift to Donations a Veteran

How can I help?

Combat Stress is dedicated to helping those who have suffered mental ill health as a result of their military Service. Through our Community Outreach Teams, we visit Veterans at home to see how best we can help. Through our three Treatment Centres, we provide treatment to help Veterans cope and enjoy a better quality of life.

Name Address

With so many ways to give, supporting Veterans with a donation to Combat Stress has never been easier…

We are enormously grateful to our supporters. Without your generous donations, we would not be able to deliver vital care to the Veterans who so desperately need our help. Your support means we can continue to provide hope to Veterans with psychological injuries.

£12

a month, over a year can pay for a home visit from our Community Outreach team

c I am happy to receive emails from Combat Stress

£35

pays for an hour with a Registered Mental Health Nurse in the community

Recycling

Want a quick, hassle-free way to give?

Donate at www.combatstress.org.uk.

For more information about donating online, please contact Yasmin Niblett on 01372 587 153 or email yasmin.niblett@ combatstress.org.uk

In the last issue of this newsletter we enclosed envelopes for you to send in old ink cartridges and mobile phones.

Many of you got involved and managed to raise £1,300! Massive thanks to all who contributed, this is a fantastic amount.

We have included the envelopes again with this issue so please do send in any more you may have collected. If you are interested in a collection bin for your workplace or would like more information on our recycling scheme, please contact Victoria Monks on 01372 587 151 or visit www.eachonecounts.co.uk/page/ charity/179

Mobile donations

eBay

Donating by text couldn’t be easier – in the body of your text simply write PTSD00 followed by the amount you wish to donate, and send to 70070 e.g. PTSD00 £5. Text donations will either be deducted from your mobile phone credit or added to your bill – and you won’t pay VAT on your contribution.

eBay for Charity is an easy way for sellers to support their favourite charity. You can support Combat Stress whenever you sell an item. Whether you’re an individual or business you can donate a percentage from any sale to Combat Stress. When you’re listing an item, just choose Combat Stress and the percentage you want to give.

For more information on any method of donating, please visit www.combatstress. org.uk and click the ‘Support us’ button.

Give online

Mail your support Prefer to donate by cheque or postal order? Send to Combat Stress, Oaklawn Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0BX. Cheques are payable to ‘Combat Stress’.

www.combatstress.org.uk

Postcode

Email

Direct Debit Regular donations reduce our admin costs, meaning we can spend more of your money on the vital services we provide to Veterans. It also means we can plan our work better as we have a reliable source of income. You can donate as frequently as you like – most of our supporters give monthly to spread the cost. For further information, call Cathy Long on 01372 587 152 or email cathy.long@combatstress.org.uk

Telephone

To make a donation over the phone, or to make a monthly direct debit, please call

01372 587 151 I wish to help ex-Service men and women. 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: Expiry Date: Security Code: (last 3 digits of the number on the signature strip)

Start Date:

Issue No:

Signature: Cardholder’s name (if different from above)

c Please tick this box if you would like to receive a thank-you letter. ANL12 If you are a UK taxpayer (remember, pensions are taxed too) we can reclaim the tax you have already paid on the money you give to help our work. For every £1 you donate we are able to claim an additional 25p from the Inland Revenue. So far, this financial year, we have raised over £95,000 through Gift Aid.

Simply tick the box below: c Yes, I am a UK taxpayer and wish Combat Stress to reclaim the tax on all donations I have made since 01/04/2008 until I notify them otherwise.

The Inland Revenue has asked us to remind you that you must pay an amount of income tax and/or capital gains tax at least equal to the tax we reclaim on your donations in the tax year.

You must complete the name and address box above for us to reclaim your tax. Please return this completed form to: The Director of Fundraising, Combat Stress, Tyrwhitt House, Oaklawn Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0BX Registered Charity Number: 206002 Charity Number Scotland: SC 038828 Company limited by guarantee: Registration Number 256353

SPRING 2012 | COMBAT STRESS news 9

Fundraising

Calling all golf clubs!

Sporting events are a popular and effective way to raise much-needed funds for us If you are a member of a golf club or any other sporting club, why not consider holding an event to raise funds and awareness for Combat Stress? Volunteers have organised golf days, rugby matches, cricket days, football matches, bowling, clay pigeon shooting, rowing regattas, swimming races and softball events on our behalf.

From small competitions between friends to larger occasions at major venues, it’s an excellent way to raise awareness and get everyone involved.

The Volunteer Fundraising team is here to support you, give advice and provide materials to make your event look the part. If you think that this might be something that could work for your sporting activity then please contact Faye, Tom or Rachel on 01372 587143, 7149 and 7147 respectively.

We are sincerely grateful to all our supporters, including the following:

NEWS

DONATE NOW Visit our website to ďŹ nd out more about what we do and how you can help: www.combatstress.org.uk