RMA – The Royal Marines Charity is delighted to announce that former Royal Marines Commando Officer, Joe Winch from Alverstoke near Gosport in Hampshire, and his wife, Amy – a founding member of the Portsmouth Military Wives Choir – have become Charity Ambassadors.
Joe is a climber and mountaineer who summited Mount Everest in 2019 with 65 Degrees North and is the CEO of Climb2Recovery – a charity that supports seriously wounded service people and veterans through a year-round programme of adaptive climbing and mountaineering across the UK and Alps.
He was medically discharged from the Royal Marines with Complex PTSD as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2021, a condition he has frequently and very publicly written and spoken about to raise awareness and educate others.
He has also engaged and been involved with the Defence Select Committee, and the Quinquennial Review into the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, to help make substantial changes to the way veterans suffering psychological injuries are supported.
Alongside his good friend and fellow Ambassador, Jon White, Joe co-wrote and delivers RMA-The Royal Marines Charity’s Commando Mindset resilience training package. This allows him to share many of the important lessons he has learnt through his recovery, in climbing Everest, building Climb2Recovery, and changing government policy towards veterans with PTSD.
Joe is a proud supporter of RMA-The Royal Marines Charity which, he says, “has done more to support me and my family since my injuries in 2017 than any other organisation.” Since then, Joe has variously volunteered, fundraised, written impact reports and case studies, as well as attended and spoken at many formal events for the Charity.
“As an Ambassador, I am honoured and greatly looking forward to continuing to champion and bring attention to, the unparalleled and extremely valuable work of RMA-The Royal Marines Charity.”
None of this would have been, or would be, possible for Joe if it wasn’t for the incredible patience, support and love of his wife Amy, who Joe credits as being the single most important person in his recovery.
Amy, a Chartered Town Planner with a MSc in Town Planning, is a Principal Planning Officer at Winchester City Council.
During her time singing with the Portsmouth Military Wives Choir, she recorded three albums and performed with the Commonwealth Band at Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
Since Joe’s diagnosis in 2017, Amy has spoken with and supported many other families of service people and veterans suffering from psychological injuries. Amy has also spoken publicly of her experiences of living with and caring for someone suffering and recovering from PTSD.
She says:
“I am excited about supporting RMA-The Royal Marines Charity as an Ambassador.”
