Greenwich Hospital has awarded the BOWRA Foundation a grant of £47,500 to work with former Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel through physical activity and wellbeing support.
The Charity promotes physical and mental health for the recovery and rehabilitation of those suffering from the effects of stroke and brain injuries across the Armed Forces. The funding enables the Foundation to continue its physical activity programme, led by a dedicated Veterans Activities Manager. The Activities Manager plays a vital role in the Foundation’s operations, given its emphasis on overcoming physical and mental health challenges.
The BOWRA Foundation has a deeply personal connection to the Armed Forces. It was established in 2014 by Special Boats Service Officer Lt Col Mark Bowra MBE after experiencing a devastating stroke at the age of 39 and is a testament to his resilience and commitment to the recovery of those with neurological injuries.
Learning directly from Mark’s recovery, the Foundation delivers a range of imaginatively designed activities to build resilience, foster camaraderie, and enhance mental and physical health. This approach enables veterans and brain-injured beneficiaries to work on their recovery together, allowing the BOWRA Foundation to engage with those veterans who can be harder to reach and establish links with.
The BOWRA Foundation also distributes its innovative BOWRA Bags, a unique collection of aids that Mark helped develop and uses to support and enhance movement, improve dexterity, increase memory, aid communication and help with independence.
Jonathan Ball, Director of Grants at Greenwich Hospital, said:
“The activities developed by the BOWRA Foundation provide a unique and much-needed ‘safe space’ for military veterans within their own community. Their progressive programme, which particularly attracts veterans from the Special Forces community, offers a less regimented environment where they can focus on their recovery and rehabilitation.”
Andrew Tate, CEO of the BOWRA Foundation, said:
“The impact of the funding support from Greenwich Hospital means that we can continue to have a positive outcome on veterans’ health and wellbeing with our activity programme. It also means we can look to increase our contact with Royal Navy and Royal Marines veterans and their families to ensure they can access our support when they need it most.”
