Owen Thompson MP joined Help for Heroes in Parliament on their 15th anniversary to discuss their work and called for improvements to mental health support for veterans.
Men and women are forced to leave their careers in the Armed Forces because of physical or psychological wounds, and their lives are changed forever. Help for Heroes was founded in 2007 and has helped wounded veterans to live secure and healthy lives with purpose. They do this by providing physical, psychological, financial and welfare support.
At the reception, Owen Thompson who is a prominent campaigner for improvements to veterans’ benefits – discussed with Help for Heroes the need for better recognition and support for mental health as well as the need for further measures to support the rehabilitation of veterans who may have complex physical and mental injuries.
Mr Thompson said: “We all owe our Armed Forces an immense debt of gratitude so I welcome the work that Help for Heroes has done over the last 15 years to make veterans’ lives better in the UK. Any veterans in Midlothian who are in need of support should get in touch with them to see if there is anything they can do to assist.
“Charities like Help for Heroes have an important role to play, but there are many areas where the support for veterans from government urgently needs to be improved. Along with fellow members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Veterans I am currently campaigning for reforms to Veterans UK, and I would encourage any veteran who has applied for financial support through the war pensions or armed forces compensation schemes to fill in our short survey at VeteransSurvey.UK and let us know about your experiences.
“I look forward to working with Help for Heroes in future to help amplify the voices of veterans and make sure everyone gets the support they need.”
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.”
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