Prince Charles to launch £10 million veteran charity appeal
The Prince of Wales will launch a charity appeal trying to raise £10 million to support the rising demand from veterans’ needing mental health support.
Prince Charles will launch the Combat Stress At Ease appeal at a reception at St James’s Palace on Monday evening attended by veterans treated by the charity.
The At Ease appeal is aiming to raise the £10 million over three years to meet the increasing demand for the charity’s services, with new referrals almost doubling to 2,000 a year in the last decade.
Living near you are #veterans so traumatised by conflict that their minds are frozen in time, back on the battlefield. #PTSD means they’re trapped in the worst moment of their lives.
Help us bring veterans all the way homehttps://t.co/BDYT8pGojo#bringthemhomepic.twitter.com/9AgOxTSrRN
— Combat Stress (@CombatStress) April 29, 2019
Combat Stress, of which Charles is the patron, said the cash raised will allow it to continue to support veterans with services such as its PTSD intensive treatment programme, short-stay clinical treatment, and a free 24-hour helpline and text number.
It will also use the money to launch its PTSD intensive treatment programme in the community to provide more flexible access to treatment, introduce a new video therapy programme, and expand its peer support service.
The charity’s president General Sir Peter Wall said the campaign will transform the lives of service men and women who have paid a “high price” for their nation.
Sir Peter added: “Please help us take this urgent step forward in veteran mental health treatment.
“I hope you will join us in our mission to change the lives of those veterans – and their families – who so badly need our help and give your support to the At Ease appeal.
“With your support, together we can transform the lives of those who have paid a high price for serving their nation.”
Today our charity is 100 years old. Over time a lot has changed, but the #mentalhealth problems #veterans can face are the same as they were in 1919. We’re on a mission to help every veteran who needs us today, tomorrow and in the years to come. #CSCentenary#100storiesin100dayspic.twitter.com/z9qjOuFO4e
— Combat Stress (@CombatStress) May 12, 2019
The charity, which is in its centenary year, helps former servicemen and women deal with trauma-related mental health issues like anxiety, depression and PTSD.
Research by King’s College London found that the rate of post-traumatic stress disorder is nearly twice as high among veterans as the general public, the charity added.
It said that almost one in five veterans who served on the frontline in Iraq and Afghanistan are predicted to get PTSD.
