Kidderminster veteran praises charity support
An army veteran from Kidderminster wants to encourage others who may be experiencing challenges to get the support they need to turn their lives around. With more than 167,000 veterans living across the West Midlands, the veterans’ charity Help for Heroes believes there may be others who are suffering in silence, who would benefit from their support.
Tim Seeley, aged 58, left the army after a 10-year career, as a medic and a First Aid instructor, and has been attending the Help for Heroes Community Sports Series. He’d been struggling to manage PTSD and a back injury, which affected his mental health and left him isolated.
Tim has been attending the Community Sports Series events, organised by Help for Heroes which give veterans the chance to take part in a range of different sports activities and meet with others who may be experiencing similar problems.
Tim says that attending the sports series events has made a big difference: “It’s amazing how much your pain reduces when you’re focused on participating in a sport. I’ve seen a big improvement in my mental health and I don’t feel as isolated. Because your brain gets stimulated, it helps with your physical and mental health.
"I was nervous at the start, but now I’d recommend it to any veterans out there, who are struggling for whatever reason. The camaraderie is great, and everyone helps each other out. I’d encourage anyone who is a veteran, who needs some support to try it out. Taking part in the Community Sports Series gives me a real mental boost.
“I’m now giving IT advice and support to a number of voluntary and community organisations in the area, including the NHS. I feel I can start to give something back.”
To date, more than 200 people have benefited from the sessions, since they were launched in November 2022, and which are fully funded by the charity.
Ryan Hunt is the Community Sports Development Manager for the charity and said: “We know from the feedback that we get from participants that our Sports Series can be life-changing for some people, giving them a focus to help them manage physical problems as well as mental health challenges.
“Adaptive, inclusive sport continues to be an important part of our whole person approach to recovery. The charity also runs a Coaching Academy alongside the Community Sports Series, which has seen 25 veterans move from being supported by the charity, to qualifying themselves as sports coaches and go on to support others, with a further 35 due to qualify this year”.
Participants are given the chance to try traditional adaptive sports including archery, wheelchair basketball and rugby as well as new ones such as boccia. Experts from local teams as well as sports’ governing bodies come along to lead sessions and make sure everyone could get involved and have fun.
Help for Heroes champions the Armed Forces community and helps them live well after service. The charity helps them, and their families, to recover and get on with their lives. It has already supported more than 30,000 people and won’t stop until every veteran gets the support they deserve.
For more information about the Help for Heroes Community Sports Series go to helpforheroes.org.uk/community-sports-series/ or email saf@helpforheroes.org.uk.
By Cathy Stuart - Contributor
