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When you join the Armed Forces, you're trained to push your mind and body the limit. You're placed in the most dangerous and difficult of situations; possibily risking your life to keep others safe, but what can be even harder, is life after the military. For that, there's no training.

Imagine losing your job, home, identity, way of life, and a support network that鈥檚 like your family. Almost overnight and now imagine all of that, while trying to cope with serious physical pain and mental trauma.聽That鈥檚 what life looks like for many veterans.聽Some have lost their limbs, their eyesight, suffered severe brain injury, or become paralysed. For many, this is when the real battle begins. At that moment, the civilian world is scary and confusing. You鈥檝e no longer got your mates around you, people you trusted your life with.聽聽

The response 鈥� to shut yourself off from the world. Not knowing where to turn for support, but at Help for Heroes, we make sure veterans are not alone.聽Our counsellors help unpick the mental trauma of sights they鈥檝e seen and dangers they鈥檝e faced, maybe years or even decades earlier.聽We have specialist teams who help people improve their physical health and fitness. Community activities聽bring veterans and families together, helping to combat loneliness and isolation.鈥�聽聽

The conflicts may be over and the wars veterans are now facing don鈥檛 make the headlines, but we haven鈥檛 forgotten. With your support, we鈥檙e still changing and saving heroes鈥� lives.聽

It鈥檚 my privilege to tell you about the crucial work of Help for Heroes.聽Military life is unique and it鈥檚 tough leaving it behind, even at the best of times; but if you have a life-changing injury or mental trauma, it can simply be overwhelming.

The civilian world seems scary and confusing, and veterans often don鈥檛 know where to turn for support at a time when they need it the most. That鈥檚 when it's easy to become isolated, and their problems get worse. But they鈥檙e not alone.

Help for Heroes understands that when a conflict ends, for some the聽battles聽don鈥檛 stop.聽They provide life-changing support to veterans and their families across the UK. Since 2007, Help for Heroes has lifted more than 28,000 people out of pain, isolation, and mental trauma but thousands more still need them.

With your support, this amazing charity can continue to help our veterans and their families live well after service. 聽

Liz joined the RAF as a Helicopter Crewman aged 19 and shortly after completing basic training she became the youngest aircrew to be deployed to Iraq.

Liz went on to complete 10 tours of Afghanistan, recovering wounded troops from the battlefield. In 2019, she was medically discharged due to neck injuries caused by wearing heavy helmets and protection gear. Initially, she loved life after the military, attending events she鈥檇 missed out on over the years but keeping herself busy was an important coping mechanism to try and put the trauma she had witnessed at war, to the back of her mind.聽

In 2020, the pandemic lockdowns put a sudden stop to Liz鈥檚 vital routines and her mental health began to decline, leading to the trigger of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Within months, Liz tried to take her own life. That led to a referral to Help for Heroes, and Liz began counselling sessions with the charity鈥檚 mental health team.

鈥淭hat counselling helped me unravel why I was feeling the way I was. It was brilliant at helping me understand myself again.鈥�

With the ongoing support from Help for Heroes, Liz is able to enjoy her identity outside of the military and is now a motivational speaker and mental health campaigner.聽

In 2007, Derek was serving in Afghanistan when the vehicle he was in, hit a roadside bomb. He was pronounced dead on the operating table, until a medic found the faintest of pulses.聽Nine days later, Derek awoke in hospital with his wife Ana, by his bedside. Both his legs had been amputated.

鈥淎djusting to life without my legs was very traumatic for myself and my wife. I was told I鈥檇 be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, that I鈥檇 never walk again.鈥�

But he did. Through his sheer determination and support from Help for Heroes, Derek got back into sport as part of his rehabilitation. The charity funded prosthetic legs which he used to compete at the 2012 Paralympic Games.

鈥淗elp for Heroes hasn鈥檛 just helped me physically, it has helped Ana and I mentally, to adapt and to overcome any challenges that come our way. They have such a special place in our hearts.鈥�

After serving 31 years in the RAF, veteran Gary was medically discharged following open heart surgery. This sudden change made him feel isolated and depressed.

鈥淭he 31 years I served didn鈥檛 seem to mean anything. It felt like my friends and comrades disappeared overnight.鈥�

His long-term struggle with mental health was worrying his wife and son but thankfully, he reached out to Help for Heroes and they gave him financial, physical, and mental health support. They helped him apply to university and connected him with the charity鈥檚 choir, which has been a lifeline and still remains a huge part of how he manages his mental health.

鈥淓veryone in the choir knows the struggles of being a veteran, but by coming together and singing, we support each other 鈥� it鈥檚 a safe space. I鈥檝e found friends for life. It feels so good to be part of a community who understands. I feel I have a purpose again.鈥�

James has been a proud member of the Help for Heroes family since 2018, working both as the Charity鈥檚 Chief Operating Officer and more recently as their Chief Executive Officer.聽

During this time, he has seen first-hand, his colleagues' dedication and energy as they deliver life-changing, tailored support to veterans and their families.聽聽

Whether that's providing physical and mental health care; helping with welfare, medical and social needs or doing something as simple as being there for a coffee and listening ear.聽

Whatever challenges a person may face, Help for Heroes will honour its promise to provide direct and practical support to those who served to keep us safe, for as long as it is needed.聽