Help for Heroes – The Road to Recovery
Four and a half years ago Help for Heroes was just a fledgling organisation with the relatively modest aim of raising £8 million. Today it has raised over £128 million, every penny of which has already been allocated or spent on the direct, practical support of our wounded. Bryn and Emma Parry decided to found Help for Heroes after a profoundly moving visit to Birminghams Selly Oak Hospital in the summer of 2007. They met some extraordinarily brave young people who had been badly wounded and they just wanted to do something to show their support for the UKs wounded, sick and injured servicemen and women.
The young men and women of the Armed Forces will say that they are not heroes; they will tell you that they are just doing their job. It is Help for Heroes belief that anyone who volunteers to serve in a time of war, knowing that they may risk all, is a hero. These are ordinary people doing extraordinary things and some of them are living with the consequences of their service for life. Help for Heroes sees the recovery and rehabilitation process as a journey; the Road to Recovery. Often injured when they are at their physical peak, these inspirational men and women embark upon the Road with a determination and courage that can only be admired.
Help for Heroes walks beside each individual, and aims to make that Road as smooth as possible. The first step on the Road to Recovery, and the point at which Help for Heroes first becomes involved in offering support, is when the wounded are flown back to the UK. During the flight they are given an Aeromed pack, which contains nice-to-haves, such as toiletries, hoodies and an MP3 player to make their stay in hospital just that little bit more comfortable. When they reach Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, the help comes through the Patient Welfare Fund, which is supported by Help for Heroes, and pays for CDs, books and magazines to keep them entertained and also meals out, once they are able to get up and about.
Once Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham has discharged an individual they are sent to Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Headley Court to begin their rehabilitation and adapt to life as a wounded soldier. The charity has been able to fund an £8 million Rehabilitation Complex at the centre to ensure those wounded have the best possible facilities to aid their recovery. Help for Heroes stays in touch with the wounded while they are at Headley Court through a group called the Band of Brothers, which is a support network that enables the Charity to share the generous opportunities they receive from the British public.
They also fund the Battle Back project, which uses Adaptive Adventure Training and Sports Rehabilitation to help those who have been seriously wounded gain confidence and return to an active life. The next point of contact on the Road to Recovery is the Quick Reaction Fund, a £6million fund from Help for Heroes which is administered by the forces charities. The fund provides help and support for the wounded and their families when it is most needed and, for the urgent cases, within 72 hours.
Help for Heroes is now engaged in its next big project, one that will take the wounded on their next step along the Road to Recovery – Personnel Recovery Centres. The Charity is working with the MoD, The Royal British legion and key service charities to deliver a comprehensive pathway to help launch wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women back into the next phase of their lives. The success of Help for Heroes is down to the hard work and dedication of the small team of staff, an army of volunteers and of course the great British public who have done their bit to raise funds.
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