"They never give up on you": Heartfelt Help for Heroes Portsmouth campaign to launch aiding military veterans

Help for Heroes will be showcasing its People’s Promise to Veterans initiative at Gunwharf Quays on August 21-23. The public, politicians, and businesses, will be asked to back former military personnel and their loved ones - honouring them for their service to our country.

Steve Gallagher, 51, is an Army veteran who works with various charities in Portsmouth, after serving for five years and being deployed to Bosnia. Help for Heroes have been by his side every step of the way while he suffers from PTSD and chronic pain.

The charity ambassador told The News: “It’s not just military, it’s a family, and it’s quite important that carers and family are included. It’s a band of brothers and sisters. Without my carer or Help for Heroes, when I;m in a dark place and I haven’t got my wife or someone I love or trust, I’d isolate, stay in, or shut down.

“Help for Heroes is incredibly important to me. When we mix in with other veterans, that’s where people help each other. Becoming an ambassador takes it to another level, as that network is so knowledgeable that I can use it to support people.

“This charity started when we were having wars every day and people needed help. People like me who suffer from PTSD and chronic pain, this is for life. Help For Heroes gives you a fishing rod instead of a fish. A lot of places want to give you a fish, which is great and I can feed myself, but they teach me to do things and move forward. If I need to come back and ask for a fish, I can, but they empower me to support myself and hopefully help others. They never give up on you, and it’s important to get the word out.”

People will be asked to sign one of the puzzle pieces which make up the Peace by Piece exhibition stand, highlighting their support for the cause. Four key pledges are alongside it.

The charity is calling for better healthcare, financial security, consistent access to support, and a society that fulfils its duty to veterans. “Veterans won’t ask for help,” Mr Gallagher. “We’re proud and still think we’re the best, and we want to help others. I won’t help myself, but I will support another 20 people. That’s a military ethos. We always help others before ourselves, but the basic First Aid rule is to ensure your own safety before being there for others.”

Help for Heroes is aiming for 6,000 people to sign up for the campaign across the three day event. The message will then be taken across the country and to parliament.

Mark Elliott, a former Grenadier Guard and one of the driving forces behind the charity since 2007, said the Help for Heroes journey has been extraordinary after starting from just a few veterans with a driving passion to support those affected by service.

“The principle was to create a movement,” the 64-year-old added. “The British public have always supported the armed forces, but I think they simply forgot to. As humans, it’s easy to forget things. Friday is VJ Day, but my Saturday, the public may have moved on.

“That’s ok providing at times they do support all veterans, as they’re trained to hide and very good at hiding. No veteran will voluntarily say ‘I need a hand’, you have to create a safe and trusted environment where they will talk to you. Veterans will otherwise, not talk, about the horrors of war. We’ve got four promises and they’re specific, but it’s also the general notion of ‘please care for veterans and their families’.

“Governments cannot provide the continuity of support that veterans and their families need. They are the public’s sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren. When those incredibly brave people go to war, it’ll be Help for Heroes and other organisations that will support them, not the Ministry of Defence. If someone is prepared to sign up and put their life on the line, and come back a bit broken physically or mentally, we should look after them.”

Sign up for free Portsmouth News newsletters

He said you can’t get more of a military town than Portsmouth, making it the perfect place to launch the campaign. “They have the ethos and understanding of veterans and their families,” he added. “We’re asking Portsmouth to lead on this and reach out to other towns and cities.”

Mr Gallagher added: “The city is the most giving for veterans. Portsmouth is the heart of the military in so many ways. It’s a very safe place for a veteran. People are proud to be part of the forces, even if they haven’t served. They should be proud of their city.”

More than 34,000 veterans live in the Portsmouth area - 9,728 in the city itself, 8,942 in Fareham, 8,422 in Gosport, and 7,431 in Havant. Mr Elliott said the campaign will be a success if the message of support for former military personnel is loud and clear.

He added: “We’re going to showcase our incredible work, and we’ll head towards a promise in this country that we will look after veterans and their families.”