Call for veterans to reach out as Armed Forces Day is marked in Salisbury
The market place is hosting a parade and military displays
Two veterans in Wiltshire are urging ex-service personnel in need to reach out for help as the Armed Forces community is celebrated today in Salisbury.
The city centre is hosting a procession, military displays and workshops to mark Armed Forces Day.
Lieutenant General Sir Andrew Gregory, current chair of Salisbury-based charity, Alabaré, told Greatest Hits Radio we have two of our most fundamental things because of the efforts of service personnel.
"Two of the most important things we have in this country are democracy and freedom of speech. And they have been hard-earned by people who have served this country and put themselves in harm's way to protect these critical rights," he said.
Sir Andrew added: "Armed Forces Week and Remembrance is the chance for the nation to thank those who are serving and have served to protect these freedoms. So it's really important."
Warminster-based veteran, Spencer Bull, spent 29 years in service before being medically discharged. He now works for Downton-based charity Help for Heroes and echoed Sir Andrew's feelings.
"It's a chance for everyone to say thank you. We're living in such an uncertain and complex geopolitical world and defence has moved higher up the agenda. So it's really important to have the support from the nation now," he said.
Earlier this week, the Help for Heroes took a new veterans support plan, called the People's Promise, to Parliament, saying that more must be done to support those leaving service before we can ask more of our current serving personnel.
A chance to reach out for help
Sir Andrew issued a plea for veterans facing challenges to reach out for help.
The vast majority of people leaving the military make a successful transition to civilian life, but there are also cases of veterans facing hardship.
"Some people struggle for many, many different reasons. It might be attributable to their service, it might not," he said, adding that charities like Alabaré are working hard to restore hope to people who've served but are now homeless, which can happen for a variety of reasons.
He said the charity works to give veterans back their independence and dignity, but said the first step needs to come from the veterans themselves.
"Too many of you are too proud to ask for help. Charities like Alabaré are here to help you. Don't suffer, come forward and then we can start to work with you," he said.
Spencer backed up SIr Andrew's call, saying that many are too proud and not willing to put their hand up for help. He called it "the hardest thing to do", but described it as the most rewarding.
There over 1,500 military charities across the country who can offer support and Spencer told us about how Help for Heroes can aid veterans: "We offer a certain amount of support we can do with physical health, mental health. We do community development teams, run breakfast clubs, sporting events, and every any veteran and their families are eligible for that and we'd love to see them and help them if we can."
Veterans can access support from Help for Heroes through their website.
Alabaré runs three schemes for veterans, including a Homes for Veterans scheme, offering bed space, a self-build programme, where veterans can learn new skills as they build a home they will live in, and a Boots on the Ground scheme, which is an outdoor wellbeing programme for veterans who've experienced homelessness, trauma, or mental health challenges.
These can also be accessed through their website.