Military Veterans mental health support

On the 21st of July I'll be running a 10k in Sutton Park to raise money for Combat Stress.

My name is Chris, I'm a British army veteran and served between 2009 and 2015.

I've had various mental health issues and have been on the recieving end of support from military charities.

I can say, first hand, how much these charities do help. Without them, veterans wouldn't have access to 24/7 support.

I've had a tough year and without the support from charities like these encouraging veterans to get help, I would have dealt with my problems differently.

It's so important to look after your mental health (veteran or not) and sometimes it can be difficult to know what to do. Combat Stress offer 24/7 support to struggling veterans, in person or online. They have a phone helpline for emergencies also. They deal with service leavers who suffer with PTSD, depression, anxiety, the list goes on. Veterans are conditioned to ignore emotions and push back on anything that might cause them emotional suffering. Having a way to open up in a safe environment and talk about things is massive for veterans and can change lives.

Even the smallest donations go a long way, they can really change the life of a veteran who might just need the right conversation with someone to change their outlook on things.

Please give what you can, not many of the smaller charities get funding, but they are the ones who offer the best individual support.

Thanks

*Update

My son Oscar will also be doing a junior run the weekend before, 0.5 miles is quite far for a 6 year old so if you can show some support for him also I'd appreciate it.

Updates on his time will be posted here.