Antony Higginbotham MP joined Help for Heroes this week in Parliament to congratulate Help for Heroes on their 15th anniversary and support the work they continue to deliver.
Every day, men and women have to leave their careers in the Armed Forces as a result of physical or psychological wounds; their lives changed forever. Since being founded in 2007, Help for Heroes has enabled wounded veterans to live secure and healthy lives with purpose.
They give them the strength to recover, by providing physical, psychological, financial and welfare support – when they need it and for as long as they need it.
At the reception, Antony discussed with Help for Heroes the importance of further support for the mental health of our veterans, as well as the need for further measures to support the rehabilitation of veterans who may have complex physical and mental injuries.
Antony looks forward to the opportunity to work with Help for Heroes to benefit veterans in Burnley and Padiham going forward.
Commenting on the anniversary, Antony Higginbotham MP said:
Help for Heroes has been doing incredible work for the last 15 years, working tirelessly to make veterans' lives better and I know we are all grateful for the work that they, and our local veteran groups, do.
The event in Parliament was about recognising this work and also hearing about some of the new initiatives they have. This includes a project launched with the Zero Suicide Alliance to develop veteran-specific suicide awareness training, which gives those who do it the skills and knowledge needed to have a potentially life-saving conversation. That can be with a friend, family member, colleague or even a stranger in the street.
Taking just 30 minutes to complete I have done it, and I hope employers and groups across Burnley and Padiham will also encourage their teams to take it up. We all owe a debt to our veteran community and my message to all those who have served is 'if you need help, reach out'.
Speaking at the reception, James Needham, Interim CEO, said:
When we began our mission in 2007, large numbers of people had returned from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, so veterans and their families’ needs were at the forefront of the public’s minds. Whilst the needs of our ex-service men and women have not diminished, these needs are perhaps less prevalent in people’s minds.
We at Help for Heroes continue to support veterans across the UK to provide them the support to live the best quality of life possible.
