Date: Monday October 16, 2017 at 11:55am
Be part of a fun campaign this festive season to
ensure our wounded ex-servicemen and women don’t spend another Christmas apart
from their loved ones.
-
Military charity Walking With The Wounded (WWTW)
supported 1,180 ex-servicemen and women in 2016, an increase of 97% on the
previous year.
- WWTW hoping to raise vital funds this
Christmas for our wounded ex-servicemen and women.
- Those who sign up to the Christmas appeal will be
supporting our wounded as well as reducing their own risk of developing
depression and anxiety.
Military charity Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) is
estimating it will treble the number of ex-servicemen and women it supports in
2018, following a 97% increase last year to more than 1,000. With Christmas
fast approaching, for many a time of financial pressure and loneliness, more
ex-service personnel than ever require support. “This time last year I was
living in the woods. Thanks to WWTW, this Christmas I am in a job and have a
roof over my head”, says Richard, who served 4 years as a Trooper in the
13/18th Royal Hussars.

This December, Walking With The Wounded is asking the British
public to sign up to their Christmas appeal, Walking Home For Christmas,
to raise vital funds for those wounded who have little to look forward to this
upcoming festive season.
The charity hopes to raise a quarter of a million
pounds which will enable the charity to change the lives of more than 400 men
and women. The campaign is proudly supported by Wolsey, who during World War 1
supplied over 18 million woollen jerseys, scarves and pieces of underwear to
the British Armed Forces.
Evidence shows that there are still thousands of ex-service
personnel like Richard who are struggling or haven’t yet sought the support
they require.
Walking With The Wounded’s mission is to support all
ex-servicemen and women with physical, mental or social injury to gain the
skills and qualifications necessary to develop new careers outside the
military, re-integrate into society and provide long term security for
themselves and their families. In Richard’s case, he spent 9 months
travelling on foot and sleeping rough, having gone through a ‘dark spell’. At
one point, he was living in a ‘basher’ (a military shelter) in the woods for 15
months.

Andy Sloan, Events Manager at WWTW said: “Too many of
our ex-military have little to look forward to this Christmas. They’ve walked
in far more dangerous environments for us, so it is the least we can all do to
organise a walk for them.”
Andy Sloan continues: “We want people to throw on a Santa
hat, call up old friends and raise some funds so that we can support these men
and women back into work, back into independence and into a place where they
can look forward to and enjoy Christmas with their families.”

This Christmas, Walking With The Wounded is asking people to
do a walk of any sort between Friday 8th – Sunday 17th December for our wounded
ex-servicemen and women ,those who without our support will be on the streets,
without a job, isolated from their family, in debt or in prison. Richard said:
“I am looking forward to spending Christmas with my godson and his family. I’ll
be able to buy them presents, something I never thought possible.”
In addition to supporting these vulnerable men and women, Rod Eldridge,
Clinical Lead at WWTW, reminds us that: “Walking as a form of physical
activity is well known to be associated with improving mental health,
particularly lowering rates of depression and anxiety across all age groups.”
It’s medically proven that people who do regular physical activity have up to a
30% lower risk of depression and up to a 30% lower risk of dementia.
Some scientists think that it can improve mental wellbeing
because it brings about a sense of greater self-esteem, self-control and the ability
to rise to a challenge. Thus
contributing another reason why WWTW are urging the great British public to get
out and about this December, get active and in turn serve those who have served
us.
For more information, please visit http://www.walkinghomeforchristmas.com/
How to take part:
Inspiration:
Last year Tom (age 9) walked to school with his dad,
Wendy (age 62) walked everyday in December in her local town, dressed as Father
Christmas an
d Adam (age 36) ran from Bath to Belfast to join his family for
Christmas Day. Whatever you decide to do, your steps will make a difference to
the futures of our wounded.
Email whfc@wwtw.org.uk or call 01263 863902