We are Help for Heroes, one of the UK’s leading Armed Forces and veterans charities. Thanks to you, we are able to give veterans and their families one less battle to fight.

Thanks supporters for being part of the journey

Introduce purpose of page and what they'll discover.

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We support all veterans no matter when, where or how long they served.

Whether or not their injuries or illnesses are a direct result of their military service.

Wherever they live in the UK.

Whether they were a regular or a reservist.

Serving personnel who are in the medical discharge process to ensure continuity of care.

Anyone who worked alongside the military, such as interpreters who served on the frontline in Afghanistan or war correspondents.

The families of all the above.

Help for Heroes makes the impossible, possible. Their support has given James opportunities that we didn’t think possible, and it’s enabled him to get closer to the life that he would have otherwise had.”

Janet

Veteran James' mother

4

the number of people medically discharged from the UK Armed Forces every day.

(Source: MOD 2021/22)

85%

of veterans struggle with their mental health every day.

(Source: Help for Heroes Annual Veterans and Families Survey 2022)

78%

of veterans struggle with long-term pain that affects their ability to live.

(Source: Help for Heroes Annual Veterans and Families Survey 2022)

60%

of family members of veterans and serving personnel with long-term health conditions need support.

(Source: Help for Heroes Annual Veterans and Families Survey 2021)

80%

of veterans and serving personnel rely on the support of loved ones or charities.

(Source: Help for Heroes Annual Veterans and Families Survey 2021)

320,000+

veterans are often or always lonely.

(Source: YouGov Plc research into mental health and suicide in the GB adult population and the Armed Forces Community. July 2022, total sample size of 8346 adults.)

‘HELP FOR HEROES MADE ME FEEL THAT LIFE IS WORTH LIVING AGAIN.’

Chloe experienced depression and sensory overload. Her father then passed away and she split from her partner.

“I struggled to get out of bed. I didn’t want to shower or leave the house.

“I felt worthless and lost all my self-confidence. I was alone in the world with no family. My closest friends lived on the other side of the world or were still serving.

“I was suicidal and didn’t know where to turn. I needed help. So, I called Help for Heroes, and I’m so glad I did.

“I was assigned a case manager and referred to the Hidden Wounds team for mental health support. My psychologist was amazing. As was the support from my case manager Jock, and my clinical lead, Fletch, who helps with my physical healthcare. They made regular calls to check in on me.

I was suicidal and didn’t know where to turn. I needed help. So, I called Help for Heroes, and I’m so glad I did.”

Chloe

Veteran

“Their weekly virtual get togethers have given me a social life. I’ve enjoyed walks, kayaking, archery and segway sessions, which were hilarious. We went to rugby games in Edinburgh. That all built up my confidence and social skills again.

“I did all the Recovery College courses, such as Nutrition and Mind, Mood and Body. They helped me understand me and where I was at.

“This Charity has given me my life back and helped me believe in myself again. It’s given me the support and strength to move forward and carry on living.”

3,481

veterans and their families received support from the Charity

244

Recovery College sessions delivered, covering a wide range of topics, including pain and anger management, anxiety, depression, money, and sleep troubles.

98%

of people who took one of the courses and completed a survey would recommend the course to others.

1,195

sporting, recreational, and social activities held to fight loneliness and isolation, and improve the wellbeing of veterans and their families.

1,311

people supported on their physical health recovery journey by our expert team of clinicians, including nurses, occupational therapists, counsellors and medical advisers.

376

grants issued to pay for specialist equipment or home modifications to make life easier for veterans with an illness or disability.

175

Afghan civilians who worked with the UK military, supported after fleeing the Taliban.

1,130

veterans and family members supported by our mental health service, Hidden Wounds.

£28k

paid out in cost-of-living support to help those finding it difficult to pay for food or to heat their homes.

November 2021

Last year saw the return of our flagship Pathfinder experience.

Through a variety of in-person workshops and activities the course gives veterans the skills and confidence to take control of their lives and build positive futures.

There’s a focus on mental and physical health, wellbeing, and self-awareness.

It includes two days spent outside completing a task as a group, providing the opportunity for teamwork, fresh air, and reflection.

We ran five Pathfinder courses in 2021/22.

A veteran said: “Out of everything I’ve done previously, the Pathfinder has been pivotal in moving me onto the next phase of my recovery.”

January 2022

We launched a Suicide Awareness and Self-Help project in response to an increase in the number of veterans telling us they’ve felt suicidal. The aim was to get life-saving training out to veterans and those around them, to create suicide safer communities.

We developed a free 30-minute online course, in partnership with Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA). Within nine months of its launch, it had been accessed 3,179 times.

Following the project’s soft launch in January, there was a publicity campaign called Read Between the Lines in September. The name of the campaign was a reflection of the need to dig a bit deeper to find out how people are really feeling.

JUNE 2022

An army of 333 dedicated volunteers took to their collecting stations at 270 Tesco stores for our annual national collection weekend, raising a staggering £144,000.

The Charity’s iconic fundraising event, the Big Battlefield Bike Ride, was back after a two-year break. A total of 130 cyclists took on the five-day challenge across northern France, raising more than £500,000.

I was out of work for six months. The cost-of-living crisis is scary and has given me sleepless nights. When our family case manager said we’d be eligible for a Help for Heroes immediate needs grant, I was overwhelmed with relief.”

Nicola

Wife of a veteran

Wife of a veteran and mum, Nicola, with teenage daughter Emily - Help for Heroes

August 2022

We made it easier for veterans and families to get support by simplifying our digital ‘Ask for Help’ form. Upon completing this form, we now send people self-help content so they can start their recovery journey. We also launched a new website, and strived to improve the user journey with content that’s relevant and easy to understand.

September 2022

We became one of the first charities to be awarded a quality kite mark for the high standard of care and support the Hidden Wounds team provides. The Quality Network for Veterans Mental Health Services was set up in 2020 by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. We were judged to be hitting 100 per cent of all the 120 service areas we were assessed on, including wait times and accessibility of our services.

Throughout the year

We supported 28 of the country’s most seriously injured veterans. They are the ‘unexpected survivors’ of war. Some are paralysed, some have severe brain injuries. Some have lost limbs. Some have lost their eyesight. Thanks to your support, we’re making sure these veterans get essential round-the-clock care every day. They will need this support for the rest of their lives.

Calling for change

As well as providing lifechanging services we lobby governments and other decision makers, calling on them to do better by veterans and their families.

It’s an injustice that people continue to be treated unfairly by the country they risked everything for.

Thanks to our campaigning, the Armed Forces Covenant now places a legal obligation on local authorities to make sure veterans aren’t disadvantaged when accessing public services, such as housing, healthcare and education.

We also ensure that the Government remains committed to reviewing how effective the implementation of the Covenant is and we will continue to build the case for further improvements.

We’ve helped create guidance for local councils to make sure they know how they can and should be meeting the aims of the Covenant.

Last year we supported 175 Afghan civilians who worked alongside the British military.

They worked in roles such as interpreters and cultural advisors, often on the front line with UK troops, providing crucial information that saved lives.

As the Taliban were seizing power, their lives were in grave danger because of their service to the British military. The Ministry of Defence got some of them to the UK through a resettlement scheme.

Often they arrived with only the clothes on their backs. Thousands of miles from home, penniless, jobless, and in a state of shock, their lives were turned upside down.

Many have sustained injuries from bomb blasts, lived underground in fear of the Taliban, and now suffer extreme PTSD and nightmares.

My Help for Heroes case manager got me off the streets and into accommodation. She helped me apply for jobs, got me GP appointments and helped with my mental health.”

Ahmad

Former Afghan interpreter

Read Ahmad's story

Celebrating 20 Years of Standing with Veterans