MACE Magazine Article: Protecting Our Armed Forces by Dolly Theis.

In 2021, Forward Assist, a military veterans charity,  published its report, “El Hombre Invisible”. It is one of the most painful reports I have ever read. I can barely get through a few pages without feeling my body tighten and experiencing a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. 

“El Hombre Invisible” includes harrowing stories from 30 male military veterans, revealing sexual abuse, harassment and rape whilst serving in the British Armed Forces. I was already well aware of the similarly horrific experiences of women veterans. I helped promote Forward Assist’s joint 2019 report “No Man’s Land” with Salute Her – a female veterans charity – to politicians in the UK (we received a very lukewarm response). “No Man’s Land” also detailed the sexual offences and silencing experienced by women. Learning about the sexual offences stories from so many men woke me from my lazy assumption that rape is predominantly a women’s issue.

Read More Here: https://macemagazine.com/dolitics-protecting-our-armed-forces/

Its a Fact, War In Ukraine Is Triggering Veterans:

Following the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the ongoing war in Ukraine it would appear that a non stop combination of graphic news reports and 24 hours social media posts, has led to many veterans of all ages, struggling to cope with unresolved trauma and poor mental health. This has led to an increase in inquiries to the services we offer and in particular the AFCFT funded Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep course delivered in partnership with Charlie Morley.Charlie Morley is a bestselling author and teacher of Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep. His 2021 book, Wake Up to Sleep is a practical guide to these practices. He’s spoken at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities and the Ministry of Defence Mindfulness Symposium, Tony Wright CEO of Forward Assist argues that,

“The role of a social worker in providing care for veterans has never been more important.

“Social workers are highly trained professionals working to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of those individuals who are struggling.

“They are in the best position to help and support veterans and their families through either direct practice, crisis intervention, care coordination, community organising and person-centred care.

“As I have advocated in the past, UK social workers should train to specialise in providing and coordinating multi-disciplinary support to those that have put themselves in harm’s way to protect us at times like this.”

Read more here: https://www.basw.co.uk/resources/psw-magazine/psw-online/war-ukraine-triggering-veterans-warns-social-work-led-charity

Empowering Veterans Through Debating

Veterans are being taught the art of British Parliamentary Debating to help in their ongoing recovery from trauma and injury during their military careers, helping many to regain the voice they feel has been lost. 

Forward Assist supports veterans with a host of issues – from unemployment and homelessness to involvement in the criminal justice system and mental health struggles – to live positive lives as part of civilian society, with the struggle to adjust often being exacerbated by the hugely traumatic experiences they have suffered during their time in service. The pioneering charity is the only resource in the UK to offer support with military sexual trauma – estimated to be one of the main causes of PTSD amongst veterans – and many of its thousands of clients may also experience brain injury, physical injury and mental illness. 

Read more here: https://www.nrtimes.co.uk/empowering-veterans-through-debating/

Veteran Friendly Dentists... Why We Need Them!

If there’s one thing the recent lockdowns have taught us in never take the NHS or Dentistry for granted. Several Veterans on our caseload have had to self medicate in the absence of instant access to dental care and we received anecdotal evidence that one was so desperate he removed his own tooth, which raised additional health and hygiene concerns. In the North East we are very lucky to have a Dental Training Hospital in the City Centre which provides emergency treatment at no cost for those in need. Its proved to be invaluable for many.

The excellent ‘Veteran Friendly’ GP scheme has proved to be extremely helpful in reminding veterans of the importance of registering with a GP practice but also in connecting them with the plethora of Veteran Support groups that now exist in many areas. We at Forward Assist & Salute Her UK are promoting the idea that both NHS Dentists and the Private Dental Sector join the scheme with particular consideration given to the needs of women who have been traumatised by sexual assault. If you are interested in supporting us in this endeavour please get in touch at: admin@forward-assist.com

Veterans Mental & Physical Health: The Importance of a Healthy Nutritious Diet

Bob Wilson, Forward Assist volunteer and Royal Artillery Veteran served fifteen years in the military and was involved in seven tours of Northern Ireland. Bob 70, suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and lives on his own. He has embraced the healthy living skills he acquired on two of our Health & Wellbeing veteran retreats and was a keen participant on the healthy eating and cookery classes designed by Team Forward Assist. In September 2019, Bob decided he would make significant changes to his lifestyle. On the advice of our Occupational Therapist he stopped eating fried food and white bread and bought a pressure cooker with which to cook all his meals. 

Under the guidance of his GP and a dietician, Bob who was 21 stone, now weighs in at a healthy 12 stone. His blood pressure has normalised and he is now able to take his companion dog for long walks. This has made a huge difference to Bob’s health and mental wellbeing as he is no longer breathless and he no longer needs breathing apparatus for sleep apnoea. Outstanding Bob, well done you!

Quote:

“Attending the healthy eating course taught me how to cook better and make healthier meals. I now enjoy cooking and enjoy experimenting with new recipes. Because of the healthy eating course I now know what not to eat and how to replace un-healthy food with a healthier alternative.  The course also gave me a purpose to get out of the house and meet new people.”

We’re Hiring

Thanks to funding from the National Health Service (NHS) and the Armed Forces Covenant Trust Fund we will be recruiting up to eight professionally qualified staff in 2021 to develop and support innovative ‘gender specific’ interventions for veterans and their families. We will continue to develop comprehensive assessments that address individual and family needs. Through care coordination and integrated care pathways we will facilitate direct linkage to treatment services for Post Traumatic Stress (PTS),Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Moral Injury and Military Sexual Trauma . Our ‘Healthy Relationships’ workshops and ‘Citizenship Reloaded’ programme will offer a ‘best in class’ approach to supporting families who may be experiencing relational stressors following adjustment to civilian life and/or the difficulties faced during the C-19 pandemic.

Chi Onwurah MP Mentions Forward Assist In Parliament on Armistice Day 2020

We were delighted that Chi Onwurah MP took the time to mention Forward Assist on 11th November 2020. Forward Assist’s virtual support service came into being in March during the first national lockdown. Since that time, the uptake of veterans accessing ‘one to one’ confidential advice and support has quadrupled with veterans accessing support from as far afield as Holland, France and Germany. Forward Assist are seeking funding to expand this much needed service. See video link: https://twitter.com/ChiOnwurah/status/1326545172897824768/video/1

'Salute Her UK' Mentioned In Parliament by Sarah Atherton MP

On 3rd November in House of Commons, Patron Sarah Atherton MP kindly talked of the ground breaking work of Forward Assist and Salute Her UK. You can watch the clip here: https://twitter.com/i/status/1323959599863574529 We look forward to meeting up with Sarah in 2021. (Covid-19 Permitting )

Forward Assist Set To Investigate Male Sexual Trauma During Military Service.

In partnership with ‘Baseline Research’ Forward Assist are delighted to be facilitating an ethnographic research inquiry into the impact ‘Military Sexual Trauma’ has on male service personnel during and after service. Read more here: ……… download pdf

The important things in life…

Tony Wright, 2018 Clore Social Fellow, writes about being a CEO of a small charity, looking after yourself and family life… all amidst a pandemic.

See https://cloresocialleadership.org.uk/blogpost/1885767/359348/The-important-things-in-life

Forward Assist: Awarded The Queens Award For Voluntary Service 2020

Team Forward Assist and its army of volunteers were delighted to be awarded the Queens Award For Voluntary Service in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the community. Forward Assist actively encourage military veterans to be of service to others when their military service comes to an ends. The award is the organisational equivalent of an MBE and everyone connected to the charity couldn’t be more proud to receive this prestigious award. Susan Winfield, Lord-Lieutenant, commented:

“I am delighted that Forward Assist have been honoured with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2020, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.  This organisation is a nationally recognised charity for military veterans and whose local activities have been showcased as far afield as the USA.  My warmest congratulations to all those who have played a part in achieving this honour.”

 Forward Assist Patron, Mary Glindon MP said:

“This is a richly deserved
tribute to years of hard work by Forward Assist in one of the
country’s main military recruitment regions. Those who have served our
country so well deserve support in civvy street, which is sometimes
very difficult for them.”

The Potential Impact of Veteran Suicide During the C-19 Pandemic & Lockdown.

Our CEO Tony Wright and Paula Edwards ‘Salute Her’ women veterans lead, share their thoughts on the potential psychological impact on veterans and their families during an extended C-19 ‘lockdown’ during 2020.

Read the article here:

Part One: download pdf part one

Part Two: download pdf part two

WCMT Activate Award Winner Tony Wright: Supporting Women Veterans Into Civilian Life

Veterans champion Tony Wright has been given a grant from the Activate Fund to develop a gender specific charity and dedicated support service, for women veterans transitioning back to civilian life. The grant will allow him to champion the rights of women veterans by creating a dedicated women-only charity aiming to raise awareness of the long term impact caused by service-related trauma. He will also develop practical information and training materials and share these with other services and organisations. Finally, Tony is planning an international women veterans conference to showcase best practice from around the world.

"The Activate Fund will allow us to open up a new front in gender specific support and we look forward to recognising and celebrating the contribution of women service personnel, past and present" - Tony Wright     

Forward Assist 'Family Work' Funded By The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

Team Forward Assist & Salute Her are delighted to receive funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to design bespoke interventions for veterans and their families in the North East of England. Forward Assist’s team of Social Work, Mental Health and Occupational Therapists will adopt a ‘Think Family’ approach to service delivery. The bespoke support model will incorporate the Charity’s ‘Citizenship Reloaded’ group work programme.

Pearson Engineering CSR Policy Helps Veterans Wake Up & Smell The Coffee!

Veterans’ charity Forward Assist has transformed a Land Rover into a mobile coffee truck to help former service personnel gain new skills.

 The Land Rover 101, which served in the Falklands, was in need of some modifications as staff were having trouble getting in and out of the vehicle with ease.

 Engineers from Pearson were happy to lend a hand and fitted two steps to the driver and passenger sides, two handles and two new spray flaps.

 As a thank you, ‘Barista Bob’ and the Salute Coffee Trust treated the shop floor staff to coffee and biscuits.