A Carlisle veteran is the star of Help for Heroes’ new Christmas campaign.
Will Brown, 49, is a former Royal Navy submariner. He is sharing his story to raise awareness of the loneliness and isolation experienced by many members of the armed forces community and how the charity can help.
He said: “I didn’t have an ideal upbringing, and I never really felt I belonged anywhere. I felt isolated from a young age. When I got to 21, I decided I needed to do something productive with my life, so, I joined the Royal Navy. At last, I was part of a team, part of a family. I finally felt like I belonged.”
When Will’s military career was suddenly taken away from him, after he injured his back on a training exercise on Dartmoor, his world fell apart.
Will became homeless, sleeping on friends’ sofas and unable to settle in a job. His injuries and his overall physical health worsened, and he ended up needing to use a wheelchair, but his house was not accessible.
He said: “I physically couldn’t leave the house and I didn’t want to. I was lost and empty and didn’t know what to do with my life. I felt totally isolated and alone.”
There are still many veterans who need help, and some will not receive, cards or gifts or sit down to a Christmas dinner with loved ones or may simply feel forgotten by their society that they gave so much to protect.
Help for Heroes is looking to change this with its new campaign that is delivering messages of hope and support this Christmas to those who need them the most.
Christmas was a particularly tough time for Will, who is dad to teenagers Aleesha, 18, and Jack, 15.
He said: “Waking up alone on Christmas Day, unsure whether I’d see anyone was hard. Sitting there by myself, waiting for 4pm when my children would pop round. Eating cheese on toast instead of a Christmas dinner. No cards, no gifts, no one to talk to. It was a horrible experience.
“I told myself that nobody cared. And then I started saying to myself ‘What’s the point of being here?’ I started thinking that perhaps society would be better off without me.”
Last December, Help for Heroes said it saw a 77 per cent increase in requests for support compared to the same period in 2021.
Will contacted Help for Heroes, which supports veterans whenever and wherever they served.
He said: “The charity arranged for a ramp to be fitted at my house. I’d waited four years for that ramp, and it wasn’t until Help for Heroes got involved that it happened.
“They helped me get an electric wheelchair, because I can’t use a manual wheelchair for more than 10 minutes. They’ve even given me a cost-of-living grant so I can afford to power the electric wheelchair.
“I can now go to the shops on my own. They also organised a membership at my local leisure centre, so I can swim, which is so good for my joints and muscles. A whole new world has opened up for me. I’ve got a new lease of life and a sense of purpose again.”
