'I wouldn't be here without them': Tidworth veteran calls for Help for Heroes support
The charity lost a lot of money due to the pandemic
On Armed Forces Day (Saturday 26th June), a veteran from Tidworth is urging people to give what they can to Help for Heroes.
Last year, due to Covid, the Wiltshire based charity lost three quarters of it's income from collections.
Today and tomorrow, the charity will hold it's first national collection since March 2020.
People will be able to donate money to Help for Heroes outside Tesco Extra on Southampton Road, Salisbury, and Tidworth's Tesco superstore on Station Road.
Veteran Bob McNab spent 14 years in the military, being discharged in 1982.
He then began to suffer massive mood swings and didn't know why:
"One moment I could be the nicest person, the next I'd bite your head off. They didn't know what was going to be next.
I think it affects the family more. I was never physically violent, but you don't have to use your fists to hurt. Your partner, your children, the rest of your family are all walking on eggshells. They don't know who you are because you're so volatile and are taking it out on them. If something's not going right it's their fault, if you've done something wrong it's still their fault."
After seeing someone on TV talk about PTSD, he realised he needed to reach out for help and joined the Help for Heroes Band of Brothers fellowship for the wounded.
A decision Bob found very hard due to the stigma surrounding getting help and admitting you have a problem.
He says they helped him turn his life around and get the support he needed:
"If it wasn't for Help for Heroes, I wouldn't be here. Nowadays especially, they are always on the end of the phone 24/7, they're there to help us. My issues were over 20 years ago and I know there's no wars and things now but in 20 years time there will be young men that will be asking for help for the things that also went wrong with me, so what they're doing is so important that every penny that they get helps someone to have some resemblance of life.
With Help for Heroes, when we first started, everyone was behind us all the way and it was absolutely wonderful and I know now that all the charities are struggling but Help for Heroes are so important. There's guys out there living on the streets because they don't know what else to do, they've walked away from their families so they won't hurt their families and it's these guys we need to get the money to get the help and assistance for."
You can find out more and donate to the charity by visiting their website.