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When Help for Heroes Ambassador Paul heard about our new charity gaming fundraiser, Hero Up, he immediately signed up to stream a 24hr gaming marathon with fellow veterans over VE Day and fundraise for the charity.

“If I was to summarise gaming to me it would be it creates focus. It provides a place to share problems, to iron things out and create a distraction from the things that get me down, like pain or stress, worry and anxiety. It has a real positive effect on me, and has played a vital part in my recovery after each operation I’ve had.”

Army veteran Paul Colling served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the Royal Corps of Signals, but lost the life and the job he loved after a traumatic leg injury during a training exercise left him in near-constant pain.

He knew from a young age that his goal was to follow in his brother’s footsteps and serve. “Joining the army was everything, it was who I wanted to be”. As a physical trainer in the Signals, sports-loving Paul regularly took part in endurance marches and fitness training. But an injury sustained early on in his career was to have enduring consequences; Paul sustained a traumatic ankle injury, damaging the ligaments, tendons and cartilage during a training exercise.

Despite his injury causing him frequent bouts of pain, Paul went on to have a successful career training recruits. But in 2017 this came to a sudden end; another training exercise had caused more damage. “They scanned my leg, and I was told I had to leave. It was like my world ended.  Who you are, everything you’ve worked for, everything you wanted to achieve just gone.”

On the surface, Paul seemed to manage the transition into civilian life fairly seamlessly. He found a new job and his employers were understanding when operations for his injury were needed. But the soldier inside was at war with his new path, and Paul struggled mentally with the sudden loss of his military identity. Twice, he reached the point where he considered ending his own life.

A Help for Heroes coaching course provided a crucial turning point. “The course helped me accept that I probably wasn’t 100% mentally where I thought I was. It made me see life from a different perspective and it’s also helped me help others along the way."

As well as Help for Heroes, Paul found a comfort in gaming during his recovery.

“Gaming has a positive effect all round for me, it takes my mind of the pain a little. I can’t remember what it feels like to be pain free and that can really wear you down at times almost to the breaking point. Playing games gives you a little bit of focus, when you can’t get about it can keep your mind actively busy.”   

February 2021 marked the 30^th Anniversary since the end of the first Gulf War and Royal Navy Veteran and Help for Heroes Ambassador, Nick Richardson was proud to wear one of our new commemorative T-Shirt designs, the HMS Gloucester.

Nick completed 23 years of service before being medically discharged. Nick reached out to Help for Heroes in 2012 at a time when he was quite unwell. ’’I had served in the Royal Navy for over 20 years prior to this time and was very unsure as to what the future might hold’’.

‘’Since reaching out to the charity I have been able to access practical support in terms of grant funding to help adapt my home.  In addition to this my wife and family have been able to access the various activities and offers available to them and while I do not currently need to reach out for any support, I continue to be a supporter’’.

Nick is an Ambassador for Help for Heroes and is proud to share his story and help others like him. ‘’It allows me to contribute and give something back in support of the charity.  It helps me say “thank you” to all those who have contributed, in whatever way, and show my gratitude to all Help for Heroes supporters.  It is especially important as the country comes to terms with other issues and when military personnel continue to serve both at home and abroad – the need for charities such as Help for Heroes will never go away."

Nick was keen to be involved in helping with the design knowledge for the T-Shirt graphic, working alongside our Trading design manager, Charlotte. ‘’Having served in Type 42 Destroyers, it seemed like a good idea to be able to help get the look of the ship “correct” – The Type 42 had a very distinctive profile and getting the proportions right are not easy. I didn’t want the ship to look wrong – the closer it looked to the real thing the better! I hope that our supporters will want to wear the new range of T-Shirts’’.

‘’I would not have been able to successfully transition into civilian life. Help for Heroes provided support at a time when I was particularly unwell and helped me see through the myriad of issues that I needed to deal with and move forward with my new life”.

‘’Please keep supporting the great work that is done by the charity and its partner organisations.  Military Veterans do not always advocate for themselves and many have ongoing complex needs attributed to wounds illness or injury sustained in the service of their country.  Please help them move forward and allow them to live fulfilling lives’’.

The 28th February marks 30 years since the end of the first Gulf War. Our new collection depicts different areas of the Armed Forces, to commemorate this anniversary. The range includes the iconic Warrior, Tornado and the Type 42 Destroyer: HMS Gloucester, all part of Operation Granby. All designs are available as T-Shirts, phone cases and notebooks.

The new range of T-Shirts are modelled by Help for Heroes veterans and ambassadors, who shared their stories of service and recovery.

Veteran Kev Gray wears the Warrior T-Shirt

Ex-Army and Gulf War veteran, Kev Gray knows only too well how public support can change lives. Kev suffers with PTSD as well as physical restrictions to his lower limbs, as a result of his time in service. It was in 2015 that Kev first encountered Help for Heroes and began finding focus and learning new skills.

‘’Being involved with Help for Heroes has made a great impact on my life. I attended a Rocking Horse making course where over an 8-month period I learned to follow a methodical process and achieve something I would never have thought possible. I also made lots of friends at the recovery centre and formed trust and friendships that will last for life’’.

February 2021 marks the 30^th Anniversary since the end of the first Gulf War and Kev was proud to wear our one of our new commemorative T-Shirts, the Warrior, to mark this time.

‘’I am a veteran of the Gulf War which has had a massive impact on my life. I used the equipment shown on the shirts and felt I could wear one with pride, to say "I was there 30 years ago". I also hope to encourage others to support the charity by purchasing one themselves. And naturally, I am proud to represent the charity which is a great support to myself and my family’’.

Kev is a proud Ambassador for Help for Heroes, regularly sharing his experiences with other veterans. ‘’Being an ambassador means the world to me. I did not choose a life of mental and physical disabilities but that’s how it is. Help for Heroes recognised something in myself that could be used to help others like myself come forward for assistance. Being an ambassador has given me a real purpose in life and I am very proud to represent such a fantastic charity. It has also given me the opportunity to travel and meet people and share my story’’.

‘’Without Help for Heroes I would be lost. I never felt there was any part for me to play in professional life. I would not have my biggest coping strategy, which is to occupy my mind building rocking horses during my most dark times. I would not have the support network I now feel I have. And I would not have the confidence to realise that there is a quality of life after mental illness. For so long I lived believing I was beneath society and not good enough for anything after being medically discharged. Help for Heroes changed my thought process and I am now producing something tactile and beautiful and have found my personal pride again. It also gives me great comfort when my family proudly tell people that I am an ambassador for such a great charity’’.

Veteran Matt Neve wears the Tornado T-Shirt

Ex-RAF veteran, Matt Neve was a Senior Aircraftman before being medically discharged in 2004. He suffered from mental health difficulties, which led to several challenges, including depression. 

In 2016 Matt joined Help for Heroes’ Band of Brothers fellowship and began receiving help from the Hidden Wounds Service for his mental health and engaged with Sports Recovery, which introduced him to Archery. ‘’This is where I began to realise there was help and support out there and I was not on my own.  From there Help for Heroes have supported me and my family over the years from financial assistance through to psychological wellbeing’’. 

A passion for Archery led to Matt being selected as part of Team UK to compete in the Invictus Games in 2017 where he won a Gold medal. ‘’Being supported by the charity has helped me survive.  It has helped myself and my family come closer as a unit and realise there are others out there in similar situations.  This has helped grow a support network for myself and my family.  Through Help for Heroes I found new sport, new friends and a new community which has meant that I am no longer on my own’’. 

February 2021 marks the 30^th Anniversary since the end of the first Gulf War and Matt was proud to wear our one of our new commemorative T-Shirts, the Tornado, ‘’I love the Tornado.  I served as MT in the RAF and my main role was airfield support and I’ve had the opportunity to refuel these fantastic aircraft many times. It’s vital the Tornado is recognised for the aircraft it was and the massive impact the Tornado’s had on the Gulf War’’.

Matt is a proud to give back to others as a Help for Heroes Ambassador. ‘’Being an ambassador means I can give back to Help for Heroes for the support I have had.  It allows me to reach out into the community to find veterans that would benefit from the support from Help for Heroes.  It also means I can tell the veteran and civilian communities of the support the charity has given me to show how much work the charity does’’. 

‘’Please buy from Help for Heroes as it means the charity can continue its valuable work to help support veterans like myself as well as seek out those veterans who haven’t got the support yet.  There are many veterans who are suffering with physical and psychological injuries that have not come forward yet or going through the process.  It’s charities like Help for Heroes that means we can continue getting the support’’.

Veteran Graham Hudspith wears the HMS Gloucester T-Shirt

Ex-Naval man, Gulf War veteran and Help for Heroes Ambassador, Graham Hudspith joined the Navy in 1983 and served 3 years onboard H.M.S Brazen. Graham says,’’ She was my home, my work, my social space, so I suppose you get quite attached. We were going out to the middle east as we had been escorting ships through the shipping lanes in the Gulf area’’.

February 2021 marks the 30^th Anniversary since the end of the first Gulf War and Graham was proud to wear our one of our new commemorative T-Shirts, the HMS Gloucester, to mark this time.

In 1999, after 16 years of service Graham was medically discharged due to neck and back injuries, sustained while playing rugby for the Navy. He says,’’ I felt alone, unwanted and cast on a scrapheap, sent to retirement at the ripe old age of 34’’.

Graham worked hard to build himself a new life after service, but sadly in 2012, Graham discovered he had stage 4 Bowel Cancer, leading to surgery and chemotherapy. ‘’ I couldn’t work anymore, in fact I could barely walk. The amount of chemicals put in my body had taken its toll, I couldn’t take anymore and closed down. It took 3 years to get through this I felt worse than ever, worthless and not worth a second thought for anyone’’.

It was at this point in his life, Graham found Help for Heroes.’’ Help for Heroes changed my life from top to bottom. They gave me a purpose to get up in the morning. It’s not all fluffy pillows, slippers and chocolates though. It’s more about giving you the tools, and to get out and start using them, but always knowing there’s a safety cushion in case you fall down trying’’.

From this point Graham went from strength to strength. Taking part in the 2015 Hero Ride, hand-cycling from London to Windsor. ‘’It gave me the bug, almost an addiction. I had to be part of it. I’d never known since my Naval days such camaraderie’’.

Building on his passion for cycling Graham was later selected to compete for Team UK at the Warrior Games in America, achieving a gold and two silver medals in Hand-cycling. ‘’The reality is your there with people like you, understanding you and wanting the very best from you and your performances’’.

From hand-cycling to wood-turning, Graham’s willingness to learn led him to a love of wood. ’’Most of all though is my new-found love of woodturning, carving and in fact anything wood. I spent a long time in the woodshed at Phoenix House, again with like-minded people wanting to help. I have slowly found more than an interest in this, I do it every day and since the closure of Phoenix House, we’re looking at ways to carry on as a community’’.

A proud Ambassador for Help for Heroes, Graham enjoys giving back, ‘’I became an Ambassador just to convince people like me to seek help, don’t give up and there really is a future’’. 

OUR WOUNDED HEROES NEED YOU NOW MORE THAN EVER.  PLEASE HELP US KEEP OUR PROMISE TO THEM

It was just thirteen years ago that we promised to be here for wounded veterans, for life, no matter what. So, it’s hard to admit that this year, due to the pandemic, we’re struggling.

Coronavirus has had a devastating impact on the lives of wounded veterans and their families. We’re doing everything we can to protect our life-changing services but, at a time when our heroes need us more than ever, our future is at serious risk. Please help us keep our promise to them.

Our income is falling dramatically, and we urgently need your help
A massive 97 per cent of our funding comes from the generosity of the British public, and a huge portion of that is raised through big events, like marathons or other challenges which have had to be cancelled. On top of this, we’re expecting a 30 per cent reduction in our regular income over the coming years, due to recession.

This puts our future at serious risk
We’ve supported vulnerable veterans and their families throughout lockdown, but now, with up to 90 team members facing redundancy due to financial pressures and three of our recovery centres closing for the foreseeable future, it’s hard to see how we can continue providing that support.

Due to the pandemic, the number of veterans and service personnel struggling with their mental and physical health has risen by 33 per cent. And this is based on those who have come forward for support. Many more may still be suffering in silence.

Listen to Shelley Cooper's account of her son's struggles here

This Remembrance Day, you can help us keep our promise to support wounded veterans and their families.

Ways you can support today:

• Make a donation
• Shop from us - you can also donate as you checkout if you wish
• Buy a donation gift for someone else to help keep a promise

Help for Heroes relies on our amazing family of fundraising volunteers to ensure we can be there to support those who need us, when they need us.

Abigail, Marcus and Ffion Bernard have been part of our wonderful volunteer team for four years.

They joined us for a socially distanced photoshoot in Cardiff to explain why they give up their time for the charity.

Abigail shared a powerful moment from one fundraising event she attended last year, “An ex-serviceman came up to me and shared his story, he needed help. As a volunteer I was able to talk about the recovery services Help for Heroes delivers and could point him in the right direction to get the help he needed.”

Shop the Honour Collection >>

“We’re delighted to have been asked to model for Help for Heroes at the time. We’ve not been able to go out and collect over the last few months, which we’d usually do, so it’s great to be able to do something to raise awareness and encourage people to support the charity.” - Abigail

“We don’t come from military families, but we know what our service personnel are willing to sacrifice when they join the armed forces. Fundraising for Help for Heroes is our way of saying thank you to them, for all they are willing to put on the line to protect us.” - Marcus

“Help for Heroes relies on the generosity of the public to keep supporting our Armed Forces community who are ill or injured, and hopefully people will do their bit and buy a t-shirt or hoodie, or wear a wristband to show their support too!” - Ffion