Be proud to be a part of The Force for Good

• Help for Heroes is calling on the public to join The Force for Good movement to unleash the expert minds, skilled bodies and courageous hearts of wounded, injured or sick veterans
• New data reveals 99% increase in medical discharges between 2010-2017
• Charity warns the public is unaware of the increasing need to help those leaving the military

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To celebrate its tenth birthday this month, Help for Heroes has launched ‘The Force for Good’ campaign, recognising the potential in the wounded, injured and sick veterans they support.

Help for Heroes aims to help increasing numbers of veterans find their purpose once again, after it was revealed that in 2016/17, on average seven members of the Armed Forces were medically discharged each day – more than 200 per month.[i] New data obtained by Freedom of Information Act request shows the annual figure for the number of men and women medically discharged from the British Armed Forces increased by 99% between 2010/11 and 2016/17.

Since it launched, Help for Heroes has supported those affected by their time in the Armed Forces as well as their families. The charity recently commissioned King’s College London to undertake a study to ascertain the scale of the need in years to come. This study found that 66,090 men and women who served between 1991 and 2014 will need support. This equates to 1 in 11 of all those who served as regulars during this period (66,090 / 757,805)[ii].

So far, Help for Heroes has supported around a fifth of those who may need help getting their lives back on track[iii]. This shows that there is a huge job yet to do, and The Force for Good movement is aimed at encouraging those who the charity are yet to reach, to step forward. Over the coming year, it will also show the need for ongoing support from the public.

Mel Waters, CEO of Help for Heroes, said: “We want to support even more veterans in the future. We believe that those who put their lives second by serving our country deserve a second chance at life, to reach their potential and to live fulfilling lives once more. We know this is a big job, and we can’t do it alone, so we are asking the great British public to unite with our brave ex-service men and women and join The Force for Good.”

The Force for Good movement is not only for the good of our wounded veterans, but also our country. In 2018, the centenary of the end of WW1, Help for Heroes intends to help more veterans than ever before, and make sure they have a chance to rebuild their lives.  Every one of the seven ex-service men and women who are medically discharged every day deserves a chance to serve our country once again by making a positive impact on society.

For more information about Help for Heroes, and The Force for Good, please visit www.helpforheroes.org.uk

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For more information, please email siseley.coates-harman@helpforheroes.org.uk or call 0207 337 9857

Notes to editors:

[i] Mental health medical discharges:

Mental and Physical injury medical discharges combined:

Source: Hep for Heroes FOI Act Request to MOD, July 2017

• https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/627223/20170713-MedicalDisBulletinFinal-O.pdf
• https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/445326/20140708-medical_discharges_1_apr_09_31_mar_14_Final-O.pdf

[ii] KCL Study: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/news/records/2016/January/New-study-highlights-scale-of-health-support-needed-by-army-veterans.aspx

About Help for Heroes:

Help for Heroes supports those with injuries and illnesses sustained while serving in the British Armed Forces. No matter when someone served, we give them the support they need to lead active, independent and fulfilling lives.

Our specialist teams focus on the five key areas of an individual’s life: medical, mind, body, spirit and family. We provide support to the whole family to help them all cope with the challenges they face.

Long-term recovery is more than repairing damaged bodies and minds; it’s about rebuilding lives.

[iii] 12,927 of the 66,090 cohort, plus over 1000 injured before 1991 and 3,339 Veterans injured after 2014. In total, Help for Heroes has directly supported 17,267 men and women to date. 12,927 of them have issues relating to service between 1991-2014.