Armed forces officers and veterans raise over £700 for veterans’ mental health service

Armed forces officers and veterans have raised £705 for Veterans NHS Wales by climbing Ben Nevis.

The team climbed the highest mountain in the UK on 18^th June 2022 to raise funds for the priority mental health service for military veterans and reservists who have served in HM Armed Forces.

The service aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of veterans with a military service-related mental health condition.

Military service-related mental health problems can occur for many reasons, from deeply shocking operational experiences to difficulty adapting to civilian life.

Bleddyn Rees, the armed forces veteran who organised the event, was unfortunately ill with COVID-19 during the climb but plans on taking on the challenge again in the new year.

Bleddyn said: “After serving in the armed forces for nine years, I left to take on a different challenge. Unfortunately, I struggled to adjust to civilian life and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“Veterans NHS Wales took me on board, and I received treatment that allowed me to get my confidence back and have a normal life.

“I met with Claire, a Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapist, on a weekly basis for intense trauma treatment. After a period of time, I felt I was strong enough to face my problems and not allow my past trauma to affect me.”

Julie Graham, Clinical Lead at Veterans NHS Wales, said: “We are extremely grateful to the group for taking on the challenge to climb Ben Nevis to raise funds and awareness for the NHS Wales Veterans service.”

For further information on Veterans NHS Wales, please visit www.veteranswales.co.uk.